My Other Half
by AlphaDemon
Summary: Lucy has run away from home. Why? Only she knows. She is now attending Fairy Tail High. She's making friends and she's happy. But when she meets Natsu, she gains an enemy, but it's not him. Slowly, very slowly, Lucy's feelings grow, and she finds herself the target of none other than...(I know, I suck at summaries. Just give it a shot.) (Rated T for language) My 1st fan fic.(NaLu!)
1. Chapter 1

**Hi mina! This is my first fan fic so please go easy on me. I apologize in advance for any grammar or spelling errors.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Lucy's POV

_Beep! Beep! Beep! _I slammed my hand down on the annoying alarm clock as it went off. It's the first day of my second year of high school, and I'm so looking forward to it. Oh! Gomen, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Lucy Heartfillia. I'm sixteen years old and have golden blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes. I'm here in Magnolia city to start my new life from…. Well, let's not ruin the good mood. Anyway, I'm just now dragging myself out of bed to prepare for my first day at Fairy Tail High. Ahh, the warm water from my shower feels so good. Once I get out, I put on my school uniform; white shirt covered by a gray blazer and black neck tie, followed by a gray, almost knee length skirt and black shoes. I put my hair up into its signature side pony tail as I head to the kitchen. Grabbing some toast, I rush out the door. _Crap! I'm gonna be late!_

* * *

Wow. That's all I can say as I stand in front of the marvelous building in front of me. _It's so big! _I think as I head for the door. I'm a couple yards away when I notice a group of four boys blocking the entrance. Three of them have weird hair; pink, orange, and long spiky black, while the other one has raven black hair. They look like delinquents with their unbuttoned blazers, wrinkled shirts, baggy pants, and loose neck ties. As I walk pass them, I feel a pair of eyes burning holes in my neck. Quickly, I glance behind me and see the pink haired one staring at me with his onyx eyes. I start walking faster; still looking at him to make sure he isn't following me. Since I wasn't looking in front of me, I didn't see the small, blue haired girl in front of me.

"Oof!... Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." I apologized to her.

"Its fine, I'm used to it since I'm always reading. My name's Levy McGarden. It's nice to meet you!" exclaimed the petite, glasses wearing girl.

"I'm Lucy Ashley." _I don't want anyone knowing I'm a Heartfillia. _"It's nice to meet you too. Do you need help carrying all your books?" I asked Levy, who was carrying a pile bigger than her.

"That would be great, thanks." she replied.

Carefully, I took some of her books and we entered the school. We turned a corner and headed to some dark red lockers. Surprisingly, mine was next to Levy's.

"What's your first class?" Levy asked as she crammed her many books in the small locker.

"Uhhh… Math with Macao-Sensei." I replied while looking at my schedule.

"Mine too!" Levy exclaimed. We both squealed and then headed for class.

* * *

Natsu's POV

"Wake up, baka!" a voice yelled in my ear. Groggily I opened one of my onyx eyes and saw raven black hair.

"Five more minutes." I groaned. Ugh, school, that's what the teme's waking me up for.

I shivered as the covers were ripped off me by that slanty eyed, ice princess. _Wack! _"Itte!" I yelled as I held the spot on my head where my roommate, Gray Fullbuster, had punched me.

"Get _up_! We're gonna be late!" Gray shouted. Slowly, I got up. I sent a glare to Gray as I made my way to the bathroom.

I put on my school uniform sloppily, making sure to ruffle my shirt, leave my blazer unbuttoned, and wear my white scarf instead of a neck tie. Not even bothering to comb my spiky salmon hair, I exited the bathroom. Gray and I grabbed some donuts and started walking to school.

I saw a head of orange hair as I neared the school entrance. "Loki!" I called to him and we bro hugged. Gray stepped forward and bro hugged him after me.

"It's been too long guys. Shame we couldn't hang out over the summer." Loki said.

"Definitely." Gray and I agreed at the same time.

"Oi! Don't copy me!" I exclaimed.

"You copied me!" Gray argued back.

"Did not, droopy eyes!"

"Slanty eyes!"

"Ice princess!"

"Flame breath!"

"Pervert!"

"Huh?!" Gray looked down to see that he was only wearing his pants. "Shit!" he exclaimed before rushing off to find his shirt and blazer.

"Stupid stripping habit's gonna get 'im in trouble one day." my orange haired friend declared.

"Yeah, it is." I turned my head and was met with a heavily pierced face. "Yo, Gajeel. Been way too long man." We fist bumped as I said this.

"Don't get all emotional on me, Salamander. You too Loki." My long haired friend replied.

"Yo Gajeel." Gray greeted while putting on his blazer. "How ya been?"

"Been good. How 'bout you guys?"

"I've been gre—" I stopped halfway to stare at an angelic looking blonde as she walked by. Her golden hair flipped over her shoulder as she turned to look at me – I mean us – with her chocolate brown eyes. She kept staring as she walked passed us. Finally, I shifted my gaze from hers to see my friends staring at her too.

"Dibs."

That one word snapped their attention back to reality.

"I call dibs." I declared again.

They looked at me with disbelieving looks but then surrendered.

"Fine."

"Bro Code."

"Lucky teme."

With a triumphant smile, I walked through the entrance doors with Gray and Loki pouting behind me, while Gajeel had an 'I don't care' look on his face.

* * *

Lucy's POV

"I want everyone to stand around the perimeter of the room while I call out your seats." Macao-Sensei said. Hurriedly, the class complied. "Loki you'll sit here with…" After a minute or two, he called my name. "Lucy, this is your desk, and next to you will be…. Levy."

_Yes! _Levy and I sat in our seats and high fived. As Macao-Sensei finished assigning seats, Levy and I chatted away. During class we whispered so as to not get caught. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the orange haired guy from the entrance – Loki, I think it was – scowling to himself, obviously in deep thought about something other than math. _Wonder what it is, _I thought. _Ah well, not my problem. _If only I knew how wrong I was.

* * *

When class finally ended, I walked to my second period; social studies with Wakaba-Sensei. I walked into class alone since Levy wasn't in this class and looked at the board which read:

**Choose a seat. I don't care where you sit.**

As I looked around for one, I saw the whole group from the school entrance sitting together. Even though the pink haired one was talking, I noticed how his eyes followed me as I walked to the row behind them and sat down at the only seat untaken; the window seat directly behind him. All four of them turned around and looked at me. Gulping, I avoided eye contact and instead pretended to be interested in the trees outside.

"I'm Natsu Dragneel. What's your name?" His deep voice startled me and I snapped my head around to look at them.

"Uhh….." _I'm not gonna be scared. It's just some troublesome looking boys. _"What's it to you?"

"Well, we're gonna be classmates so I figured why not make you a friend too?" he replied.

_That's his reason? What a stupid reason, _I thought. "Tell me their names, and I'll tell you mine." I gestured at his posse.

"Gray Fullbuster." answered the raven black haired teen.

"Loki Celeste." the orange haired one said.

"Gajeel Redfox." mumbled the spiky black haired guy with a bored look on his heavily pierced face.

"…." When I didn't give my name, Natsu asked again.

"What's your name? We gave you ours; it's only fair you give us yours."

"Lucy" I mumbled quietly, in hope that they couldn't hear it. I told them I would tell my name, but I never said I'd say it loud enough for them to hear. Gray and Loki gave me confused looks while Natsu and Gajeel reacted, though Gajeel didn't seem to care.

"Lucy. That's a pretty name." Natsu complimented.

I stared at him, dumbfounded. _How did he hear that? And Gajeel reacted too. Amazing hearing, I guess, _I wondered. Then his reply processed and I looked out the window with a light tint of pink coating my cheeks.

Wakaba-Sensei walked into the classroom and declared "These will be your seats for the year unless I move you or you get my permission to move or swap with someone. Now, since it's day one and I don't feel like teaching, I'm going to give you these worksheets for you to use to get to know your classmates. Ask them ONE question and have them answer it. I want the paper filled as much as possible. It will be graded on completion. When you finish, you can talk quietly. Now, get started."

_This is stupid. _I thought. I walked around the room and got most of my sheet filled out. Only four questions were left, and only four people hadn't answered a question. _Great. The delinquents are the only ones left, _I moped. Hesitantly, I walked to them. "Can you guys answer the last four questions for me?" I asked, somewhat with a demanding tone.

"Sure." Gray and Natsu said. They glared at each other before head butting.

"That's the second time you've copied me today!" Natsu growled.

"Nuh uh, you copied me!" Gray snarled.

"Did not popsicle!"

"Hot head!"

"Ice cube!"

"Droopy eyes!"

"Squinty eyes!"

I stared at them, a sweat drop forming on the back of my head. _So childish. _"Ah hem." I tried to get their attention, but to no avail. Loki was immediately at my side when he saw I was being ignored.

"I'll listen to you, babe. You can talk to me whenever. I'll always be here for you, my precious hime-sama." He kissed the back of my hand. Uncomfortably, I removed my hand from his and averted my gaze from his. Things only got worse, though.

"Exhibitionist!" Natsu yelled. I blushed heavily when I saw Gray's uncovered upper body, and his eight pack of abs.

"Dragneel! Fullbuster! Stop yelling! And put a shirt on Fullbuster!" Wakaba-Sensei shouted from his desk.

_Ring! _"Whew." _Saved by the bell. _I packed up my things and headed to my next class, still red faced.

* * *

**So, how was it? I'm hoping to make the chapters longer in the future. I promise that this story will pick up, I just haven't decided what's gonna happen yet.**

**Please give me your feedback and any advice.**

**-AlphaDemon**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys! Big thanks to those of you who read my last chapter. Huge thanks to those who followed and favorited, and even larger thanks to **Amy wolfscent and Co, **and **Animecat16 **for reviewing.**

**Here's chapter 2. Hope you enjoy!**

_(Italics is thoughts and sounds)_

* * *

Lucy's POV

I met up with Levy and a red haired girl in the hallway. She was pretty; long, scarlet hair and brown eyes, but she has this aura that's kinda scary.

"Hi Levy-chan!" I greeted her.

"Hi Lu-chan! This is Erza Scarlet, the student council president." Levy introduced the scarlet haired girl.

"It's nice to meet you." Erza said.

"Nice to meet you too. What class do you guys have next?" I asked.

Erza and Levy looked at their schedules then both replied "Language Arts with Yajima-Sensei."

"Mine too!" I exclaimed. The three of us walked to class together, unaware of the three pairs of eyes glaring our way.

* * *

_Oh crap, _Levy and I thought as we entered class, but for different reasons. Erza looked at us quizzically when she noticed our pale faces and the sweat now rolling down our necks.

"Let's sit away from those two." Levy said pointing at a skinny man with his orange hair pulled in a high ponytail, and a tan man with his black hair in a ponytail resembling a scorpion's tail above his head.

"Why?" I asked. Erza had a knowing look on her face and seemed to be holding back giggles.

Levy didn't seem able to answer, so Erza answered for her. "That's Jet and Droy. They've had a crush on Levy since middle school and like to follow her around. It can get annoying and awkward, not to mention embarrassing."

"Hahaha! That's hilarious! Uh, I mean…. I'm sorry for you?" I changed my reply when I saw the glare Levy was giving me.

"Why'd you turn pale, Lucy?" Levy asked, getting back at me.

"Huh? Oh, uh, cause of the stripper over there." I mumbled while blushing and pointing at Gray, who was sitting next to a blue haired girl that was staring at him with hearts in her eyes.

"You like him, don't you?" Levy teased.

"Of course not! He's childish, rude, immature, and he STRIPS! Obviously he's some sort of pervert. I could never like a guy like that." I defended myself.

"Uh huh, su—let's sit over there!" Levy suddenly squealed in the middle of her retort. Luckily she wasn't pointing at Gray. She was pointing at metal face. _Gajeel's here too?! And crap, he's on Gray's other side! _I screamed in my mind.

Yajima-Sensei entered the classroom and I was forced to sit near the delinquents. Levy took the seat next to Gajeel and I sat next to Levy. Erza was on my other side.

Not much happened during class. That's if you count Gray stripping in the middle of the lecture and the blue haired girl next to him yelling "Gray-Sama! You're so hot! Juvia loves you!" as not much. But the one thing that caught my eye was Levy. Her gaze was constantly wandering to Gajeel, and a light blush coated her cheeks the whole period. _I'll have to tease her about that later._

* * *

After the long and boring lesson finally ended, Levy, Erza, and I split up to go to our next classes. I was humming to myself when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around and was met with a girl with short white hair and beautiful baby blue eyes.

"Can I talk to you for a sec?" she asked. I nodded and she pulled me into a deserted hallway. She dropped my wrist like it was a hot rock.

"You don't deserve him. Stay away from him." She glared daggers at me.

"Who's him?" I was completely confused.

"You know who! You were talking to him this morning!" When I didn't show any signs of recognition, she restated. "Natsu Dragneel, dumbass! I saw you staring at him this morning and my sources say you talked to him and the other guys. You're just a nerd. Stay. Away. From. Him."

"Why? We're just…" _How do I word this? _"classmates." I didn't know exactly what to call those slobs.

She gave me a glare that would have Godzilla running and hiding. "He's mine." She stated. "Stay away from him if you don't want trouble." That's when I noticed the purple haired girl and the brown haired girl standing on either side of me. They looked dangerous.

"Uh….. Ok?" _I'll play along for now. I don't see her problem, though. It's not like I'm interested in them in _that _way._

"Good." And with that they turned around and walked away. "Oh, by the way, I'm Lisanna Strauss. Don't forget, geek." she called over her shoulder.

_That was….. weird. _I glanced at my watch. _Shit! Class starts in a minute! _With that, I ran to P.E.

* * *

"Do three laps around the track. Running, no walking." Laxus-Sensei was saying when I sat down on the bleachers in the gym after hastily changing into my P.E uniform. The uniform was a comfortable, somewhat loose fitting, white T-Shirt with the red Fairy Tail symbol on it, and dark blue basketball shorts.

I scanned the crowd for anyone I knew and saw a head of pink hair. _Natsu. At least there's someone I know, even if it's him. _I thought. Then I noticed the girl sitting next to him. "Lisanna." I growled her name under my breath. _Great. Of all the people it could've been._

"Hai, Sensei!" the class yelled. I waited for the crowd to die down before I made my way to the track. I'll admit, I've never liked running. Never been good at it either. My stamina is low compared to other girls, and I don't have much muscle endurance.

I was on my second lap when it happened. It was like slow motion. Lisanna sped up from behind me, stuck out her foot, and tripped me. I stumbled but didn't fall, so she did it again. But this time she kicked my ankle. Sharp pain ran up my leg as my ankle buckled under me. No one saw it. No one saw her kick me. She's not going to get punished for this, no matter what I say.

I tried to stand up, but I fell to the ground the moment my hurt ankle tried to hold weight. "Argh!" _It's probably sprained, _I guessed.

As carefully as I could, I tried to take my shoe off. Tried being the key word. The pain only intensified, so I had to stop.

"Lucy!" I turned my head at the call of my name and saw Natsu sprinting to me. "You okay? What happened? Is it your ankle? Do you need the nurse?" He bombarded me with questions, but I was able to answer them all.

"No, I'm not okay. I tripped. Yes, it's my ankle. Most likely sprained. And I probably do need the nurse." I examined my swelling and bruised ankle. _Damn Lisanna. _I sent her laughing figure a glare out of the corner of my eye. She noticed and glared back from the other side of the track.

Strong yet gentle arms grabbed me. "Ehhh?!" I looked at his determined face and blushed, looking away. Natsu carried me, bridal style, to Laxus-Sensei.

"I'm gonna take her to see Mira." Natsu said.

"Good idea." Laxus-Sensei replied while studying my injured ankle.

The last thing I saw before Natsu carried me out of the gym was Lisanna's disbelieving look turn into a death glare, aimed right at me.

* * *

**So whad ya think? It's a bit shorter than the last chapter, but it felt like the right spot to end it at.**

**There's gonna be some NaLu fluff in the next chappy, which I'm already writing.**

**'Til then, thanks for readin**

**-AlphaDemon**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey mina! I'd like to thank cookiebear326isforNaLu, and animerainbow924 for reviewing for chapter 2! And thanks to everyone who followed/favorited. Also, thanks to those who have read this.**

**Here's chapter 3!**

_(Italics is thoughts and sounds)_

* * *

Natsu's POV

I was running my third lap around the track when I noticed Lisanna speeding up in front of me. She ran to Lucy. _Maybe they'll become friends!_ I thought joyfully. I closed my eyes as a smile graced my lips. When I opened them, I saw Lucy on the ground trying to take off her shoe. _Weirdo. What's she doing?_ I wondered. Then I heard her gasp in pain. My eyes widened as I realized she was injured.

"Lucy!" I yelled in panic, sprinting to her. She looked up but before she could say anything I asked her questions as fast as I could. "You okay? What happened? Is it your ankle? Do you need the nurse?"

She took a second to take it all in before finally answering, "No, I'm not okay. I tripped. Yes, it's my ankle. Most likely sprained. And I probably do need the nurse." She looked at her swollen and bruised ankle. I noticed her eyes look to the side and took advantage of it.

Carefully, I wrapped my arms around her back and under her knees. With determination on my face, I carried her, bridal style, to Laxus-Sensei. I couldn't tell if her squeal of "Ehhh?!" was from shock or disapproval. I did notice her blushing, though.

"I'm gonna take her to see Mira." I stated.

"Good idea." Laxus-Sensei replied.

With that, I carried the blonde out of the gym.

* * *

An awkward silence filled the hallway as I headed to the infirmary. We were halfway there when Lucy broke the tense atmosphere.

"Thank you."

I turned my head to look at her brown orbs. "For what?" I asked.

"For helping me. For caring. For wanting to be my friend." she blushed as the words came out of her mouth.

"No problem. We're nakama, after all. We are friends, right?" Suddenly, I was unsure of how she viewed me.

"Not yet. But maybe one day. Maybe soon." she muttered the last part but my sharp ears caught it. Disappointment coursed through me before I came up with a solution.

Flashing my bright, goofy smile I said "I'll just have to make you want to be my friend then. It'll be like a game."

She looked confused for a second but then gave a mischievous smile. "You're on." She declared.

* * *

We reached the infirmary and I kicked the door open yelling "Mira! We have an injured person!" A beautiful woman with long, flowing, white hair poked her head out of a door and looked at us.

"Set her down on the bed over there." Mira ordered, pointing at a bed in the corner of the room. Slowly and carefully, I set Lucy down on the soft mattress. She groaned in pain when her ankle touched the comforter.

"I'm Mirajane, the school nurse. You can call me Mira." She introduced herself. "Tell me your name, age, grade, and what happened."

"I'm Lucy Ashley, 17 years old. I'm in tenth grade. During gym class, we were running laps and I tripped and I think my ankle's sprained." Lucy answered her.

"I'll take a look at it." Mira said while moving towards Lucy. I watched as she examined Lucy's swollen ankle. "You're right. It's sprained. I'll wrap it up and give you some pain killers." Lucy gladly accepted the pills handed to her. She gulped them down with the water I handed her while Mira wrapped Lucy's ankle. "You'll need to use these crutches." Mira got up and grabbed the crutches from a supply closet. Handing them to Lucy, she said "Come back tomorrow so I can check it. You can take more pain killer in six to eight hours and put ice on it when you get home."

"Arigatou, Mira!" Lucy waved bye to Mira before grabbing the crutches and hobbling out the door. I was about to follow her when Mira grabbed my arm.

"Natsu, she didn't trip." _What?!_ "Someone tripped her. No, someone kicked her ankle. It wouldn't be bruised if she only tripped."

I looked at her, shocked. _Who would want to hurt Lucy on the first day? Who would want to hurt her at all? The only person near her when it happened was Lisanna, but she would _never_ do something like that._

"Just... Keep an eye on her. Make sure she's safe." Mira told me.

"Yeah! I'll make sure no bastard ever hurts her again!" I declared. After saying a quick goodbye to Mira, I ran after Lucy.

* * *

After explaining where I had been to Lucy (not telling her I knew she had been kicked; for some reason I felt like I shouldn't), we slowly made our way back to class. I grabbed both our things from the gym and together we headed to Gildarts-Sensei's science class; Lucy's last class for the day, since we had missed lunch and fifth period.

I knocked on the door and, after hearing a deep voice say "Come in.", opened it. Juggling our things, I held the door open for Lucy. She made her way to an unoccupied desk and sat down, albeit with much difficultly. I placed her books on her desk, made sure she was okay, and then reluctantly left. With my empty stomach growling, and food on my mind, I headed to my sixth period class.

* * *

Lucy's POV

"I'm fine, Natsu." I reassured him. Everyone was staring at us, making my face grow hot.

"... Ok." He said. "Bye, Luce." He hesitated before he left.

_Luce? What's up with the nickname?_ I pondered over the reasons but came up with nothing good. Sighing, I paid attention to Gildarts-Sensei.

"Was he your boyfriend?" The question startled me. I turned to look at the brown haired girl sitting next to me. The black haired guy sitting on her other side was looking at me questioningly, too.

"Ehhhh!? What! No! Absolutely not!" I whisper shouted.

"Hehehe. Ok." The girl giggled. "Oh, I'm Cana. The idiot behind me is Bacchus. And the pervert staring behind you is Bora.

"Huh!" I snapped my head around to see a purple haired guy - Bora - staring at me. Quickly, I used my hands to cover my chest. I glared at him as I blushed furiously.

"Stop staring at her chest, baka. It's creepy." Cana demanded as she took a gulp from a bottle. Bora's head snapped up and he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Uh. Um." He fake coughed. "Sorry." He apologized, but I don't think he meant it.

The period went by slowly, and it was awkward sitting next to Bora, who I saw glancing at me often.

* * *

I had to wait for someone to come help me with my things when class ended. I thought Levy was going to come, but someone else came.

"Natsu?" He forced his way through the people exiting the door and stumbled up in front of me.

"Hey Luce. I thought ya might need some help with your things." He smiled a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

"It's Lucy, not Luce." I corrected him. In a lighter tone I said "You don't have to. I mean, I'm sure Levy has heard by now and is on her way here." I didn't mind Natsu's help, but I didn't want Levy to get the wrong idea.

"Luce. I want to help you. Plus, you probably need a ride home right? I can get my mom to come get us. Since you're on crutches, you can come to my house and we can hang out." He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "The guys and some of their female friends are coming over, so you should come too." He smiled his sunny smile again.

"..." I pondered over this. _On one hand, I could make new friends, learn more about the slobs, and not be alone for the rest of the day. On the other hand, the girls could be bitches, I could be raped, and I might never get away from them._

"Come on, Luce. It'll be fun." Natsu pleaded.

"... Who are the girls?" I asked, still deciding.

"Uhh... I think Gray is bringing Juvia. Gajeel said something about a Shrimp. And who knows who Loki'll bring. Oh! And Lisanna's gonna meet us there." He replied. Instantly, my mood turned sour. _Lisanna. Might as well not go if all she's going to do is threaten and injure me. Not to mention she could humiliate me in front of everyone. But then again... It does sound fun, and Levy might be the Shrimp. She did say there's a guy that calls her that. And Juvia might be the blue haired girl from third period. Maybe if I can..._

"Can I bring one of my friends?" The words slipped from my mouth before I could think.

He hesitated then said "Sure. It'll probably make you feel more comfortable to have someone you know. Do you need to call your parents?"

"No." I replied instantly. He looked a little shocked by that, but brushed it off.

"Let's go find this friend of yours then." We went to my locker so I could get my back pack, then made our way to the school's front doors.

"She and I made plans to go to a café together, so she should be waiting for me. Oh! There she is! Erza!" I called out to her while hobbling faster on my crutches.

"Lucy! What happened? Are you okay?" She asked, noticing my crutches.

"I'm fine. I tripped in P.E is all. Anyway, do you want to come hang out with Natsu, some other people, and I?"

"Yes, that sounds fun."

"I'll call my mom, then." Natsu pulled out his red cellphone and walked to a bench. He dialed a number and held the phone to his ear.

"How do you know Natsu?" Erza asked.

"We met this morning. Why? Do you know him?"

"Yes, we're childhood friends along with Gray. Loki and Gajeel we met two years ago."

I didn't have time to reply before Natsu came back to us. "She's on her way." he said. "Damn it! I didn't go to my locker!" He started running back to the double doors. "I'll be back in a sec!" he yelled over his shoulder.

We stared at his retreating form, then started chit chatting. A few minutes later, he came jogging back just as a light blue car pulled up. Erza sat in the front passenger seat next to a dark blue haired woman. I sat in the seat behind Erza. Natsu sat next to me. I stretched my injured foot out on the floor after Erza moved her chair all the way forward.

"I'm Grandine, Natsu's mother." The woman looked at me with kind, brown eyes. "It's nice to meet a new friend of Natsu's." She smiled.

"It's nice to meet you too. My name's Lucy." I returned the smile.

"Well then, let's get going." She turned to the wheel and started the car. We drove off, talking idly.

* * *

**Japanese Translations: Arigatou- thank you**

**I hope you liked it! It's my longest chapter yet. I hope to make them longer, though.**

**So, I forgot to say this last chapter, so I'll say it now. I have NOTHING against Lisanna. I actually like her character in the anime. I only used her as a bad guy because it makes a good plot. So, please don't hate me if you like Lisanna as a good guy.**

**On another note, I've started a new AU NaLu fan fic called Dark and Silent. (For all you Lisanna lovers out there, she is GOOD in this fan fic.) Personally, I'm really proud of it so far. I should have chapter one up by Monday (hopefully). I would love it if you all would give it a shot.**

**Oh! A HUGE thanks to xTheWanderingTravellerx (my best friend) for editing this chappy!**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**-AlphaDemon**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey mina! Thanks to everyone who's favorited, followed, and/or reviewed, or viewed!**

**Here's chapter 4! Hope you enjoy!**

_(Italics is thoughts and sounds)_

* * *

Natsu's POV

"Welcome to our home!" I yelled, jumping out of the car. My house is a two story, red brick one. Not very big, but homier than any mansion.

Lucy slowly stepped out of the car with her crutches. Cautiously, she set her injured foot down and, using the crutches to support some of her weight, walked towards my house. Erza grabbed Lucy's and her own things and slung them over her back as she walked next to Lucy.

I held the wooden door open for everyone as they went inside. We entered to a hallway and walked down it to the living room which connected to the kitchen. My mom turned to face us and, in a cheery voice, declared "Make yourselves at home!" She then headed to the kitchen.

Lucy sat herself on the leather, three seater couch and stretched her foot out. Erza sat next to her. I made my way to the chair across from the couch that looked like a recliner, (but doesn't recline) when Lucy spoke.

"Natsu?" I stopped and looked at her. "Can I have some ice for my ankle? Mira said it would help." I nodded. A minute later I walked back to the living room with an ice pack.

"Thanks." she said as I handed it to her.

"No problem."

_Ding dong!_ "It's open!" I yelled as I sat in the chair. I heard the door open and the drum of footsteps as they walked down the hall. Then, Gray, Juvia, and Loki appeared. "Hey guys!" I greeted them.

"Hey, flame brain."

"Kon'nichiwa, Natsu-San. Juvia thanks you for inviting her."

"Konbanwa, Natsu. And hello my hime-sama." Loki rushed to Lucy and, while kneeling in front of her, kissed the back of her hand. She looked startled at his actions. I moved over to them and nudged Loki.

"Not now, Loki. She's injured." I gave him a small push to emphasize my point.

"Fine. What happened?" He asked.

I opened my mouth to answer, but Lucy beat me to it. "I tripped while doing laps. I'm fine, really." Just as Loki was about to say something, the front door slammed open.

"Oi! Salamander! We're coming in!" Gajeel's voice sounded from the hallway. Then, Gajeel and a small, blue haired girl appeared.

* * *

Lucy's POV

"Levy!" I exclaimed. She rushed over and bent down to hug me. I returned the hug.

"Hi Levy." Erza greeted, standing up. Levy pulled away from me and hugged Erza

"Hi Lu-chan, Erza-chan!" Levy chirped. She and Erza sat on the couch, and, in a sadder tone, she informed us "Gajeel got news from Elfman, Lisanna's older brother, that Lisanna won't be able to make it. She says hi to everyone and wishes she could be here."

"That's a shame. I was looking forward to seeing her again." Erza looked a little down cast as she said this. I, on the other hand, was fighting back the urge to jump for joy. A silence passed between the three of us. I decided it was time to change the subject.

"So, Levy-chan, why does Gajeel call you Shrimp?" I asked in a teasing tone. She looked at the floor, blushing ten shades of red.

"He gives everyone a nickname, and mine's Shrimp." she mumbled. I snickered. _What an adorable nickname._

"Hehe. That's so kawaii." I teased her. She pouted at me with her doe brown eyes.

"That is enough. We are not the only females here. We should introduce ourselves to Juvia." Erza butted in. Levy and I instantly agreed, but I asked Erza if I could try something first.

Experimentally, I set my injured foot down. Then, I stood and put some weight on it. Wincing at the slight pain, I put more weight on it until my weight was equally on both feet. _Yes! It's healed enough for me to walk without crutches!_

We walked over to Juvia, who was staring at a now shirtless Gray. Tapping on her shoulder to get her attention, Erza said "Hello, Juvia. Would you like to join us?" Juvia glanced at Gray, who was searching for his shirt, then nodded, somewhat reluctantly. The four of us sat in a circle on the carpeted floor in front of the couch we were just on.

An awkward silence filled the air between us. No one knew what to say. It was Juvia that broke it.

"May Juvia know your names?"

"Of course you may. I'm Lucy. It's nice to meet you!" I reacted first.

"I'm Levy. It's a pleasure to meet you!" Levy said with a smile.

"My name is Erza. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." _There's Erza for you. All formal and stuff,_ I thought.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all too." Juvia gave a small smile.

For the next who knows how many hours, the guys and us girls were separated in our own conversations. And fights, for the guys. But Erza somehow stopped them with just one look. _Kawai!_

* * *

Around probably seven or so, we all sat down on the living room floor with plates of food in our hands. Natsu's mom, Grandine, had invited us to stay late so she made us some dinner; whatever type of sandwich we like, our choice of chips, salad, and homemade, chocolate chip cookies.

"Leff's pway truwf orf darf!" Crumbs went flying everywhere as Natsu spoke with his face stuffed of food. Gray, who was sitting next to him, punched him in the face.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, jackass. It's gross."

"Oi! You callin' me gross, snowflake?!"

"Yeah, I am, ash brains!"

"Am I hearing the beginning of an argument?" Erza asked. A dark aura surrounded her, making her ten times scarier than she already can be.

"No ma'am!" Natsu and Gray hugged each other for dear life. "We were just having a conversation!" They were perfectly in sync. _It's so fake. How can Erza not tell?_ I wondered.

"Good. Now, Natsu, what were you trying to say?" _Ok, now I'm officially scared of her. How can she stop those two from fighting so easily?!_

He glared at Gray, who glared back, then turned to everyone. "Let's play truth or dare!"

"I'll take you on, match stick."

"I would love to play."

"If Gray-sama is playing, so will Juvia."

"Tch, whatever."

"Oh, Lu-chan, Erza-chan, we should play!"

"All right, I'm in."

"..." All eyes were on me now. "Okay, why not?"

"Yosh! I'm all fired up!" Natsu pumped his fist in the air. "Who's goin' first?"

"I guess I will." Loki volunteered. "Hmmmm, Gray, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"All right. I dare you to chug down a bottle of hot sauce." Loki smirked, seeming to know something.

Leaning over, I whispered to Levy "Why's Gray all pale?"

"He hates hot things, he prefers ice cold. Natsu likes fiery hot. That's part of why him and Natsu are always fighting, and the reason for the names they throw at each other." She whispered back. I sat up straight, just as Gray sat down with a bottle of hot sauce.

He gulped, turning paler. Slowly, he lifted it up to his lips. He held it there, then dropped his hand. "I can't do it."

"Hahaha! Stripper chickened out!" Natsu busted out laughing at Gray's surrender.

"Matte. There needs to be a price if you don't complete the task you're given." Erza declared. "I propose that if you are unable to complete it, then you will pay everyone here 20,000 jewel each."

We all gaped at her. _Is she crazy! No one can afford that!_

"I accept the terms." Loki's voice shook me from my thoughts. Everyone else nodded agreement. Sighing, I nodded, too.

Gray looked at the bottle in his hand. Putting on a determined face, he put it to his lips again and swallowed. Then swallowed again. And again. And again. He drank until there was nothing left but a few unreachable drops at the bottom.

His face turned inhumanly red and I swear smoke emanated from his mouth. Quick as a cheetah, he dashed, more like tripped and stumbled, to the kitchen sink while chanting "hot hot hot HOT!". Turning the dial to its coldest, he let the refreshing liquid fill his mouth. It seemed like hours before he turned off the faucet and walked back to us. Natsu snickered as Gray took his spot next to him.

His face took on a wicked smile as he thought of something. "Natsu, truth or dare?"

Seemingly oblivious to Gray's mischievous look, he replied, "Dare of course!"

The once wicked smile turned into a full blown maniac grin as he announced, "For your dare, you will stuff your mouth as full as possible with ice." At that, Natsu's snickering abruptly stopped.

Levy and I giggled at his dumbfounded expression. Loki was laughing his ass off next to Gray, who was doing the same. Erza had an amused expression while Gajeel added to Natsu's torment by hollering "He got you on that one!" between fits of laughter.

Natsu stood up, grumbling "asshole" under his breath, and slunk to the refrigerator/freezer. He opened the freezer door and grabbed a bucket full of ice. Fumbling with the bucket, he picked up a small handful of ice and shoved it in his mouth. Adding more ice in his open jaw, he reclaimed his previous spot on the floor. He kept shoving more ice into his mouth. As he did so, his face and hands became blue tinted from the coldness.

Finally, he couldn't add anymore in his overflowing mouth. Pulling the almost empty bucket closer, he let the ice fall. Shivering, he pulled away from the bucket and fell on his back. By now all the guys were laughing so hard they were doubled over. Us girls, even though we were laughing too, showed mild concern for the shivering man.

My laughter soon gave way to worry when he didn't get up. Looking around, I spotted a blanket on a chair next to the couch. I stood up, walked over to it, and walked back. I tossed the fuzzy blanket over Natsu, who looked at me with grateful onyx eyes. Wrapping the blanket around himself, he sat up as I sat next to Levy.

Since he wasn't allowed to target the person that chose him, he attacked the person next to Gray. "Loki, truth or dare?" His laughter abruptly ceased when he saw Natsu's revenge filled eyes.

Clearing his throat and pushing his glasses up he replied "Dare."

"Hehe. I dare you to ruin Erza's cake."

Everyone except Erza paled. I looked over to her as she took a bight from her strawberry cake; her favorite kind. I then looked to Loki who tentatively stood. Cautiously, he tip toed to Erza. She gave him the scariest death glare known to man. Taking a deep breath, Loki pounced.

It was hard to tell what happened, but Loki never stood a chance. In five seconds it was over with Erza standing on top of Loki. She pressed her foot down on his cheek. "If you ever try that again, I'll kill you."

The guys, minus Loki, busted the heads off with how hard they were laughing. I giggled as I watched Loki's eyes swirl around. His eyes met mine.

"L-Lucy," he croaked "truth or dare?"

"Dare" I was wary.

"I dare you to get Erza off me."

_Pfft, easy._ "Okay. Erza, if you get off Loki, I'll buy you two whole strawberry cakes." Erza's eyes lit up and she hopped off Loki.

I then dared Levy to walk around the house without her glasses. She kept bumping into things! We got a crack out of that. She then dared Erza to give me a wet willy. It was so gross and slobbery! The game turned into one of getting revenge on each other. All in all, it was a fun day.

* * *

**Japanese Translations: Kon'nichiwa- hello; Konbanwa- good evening; hime-sama- princess; Oi- hey; kawaii- cute; Kawai- scary; Matte- wait**

**How was it? This is the longest chapter for this story so far. It was really fun to write, but I'm glad I'm done writing it. I would love your thoughts on it!**

**I've posted another AU NaLu fan fic called Dark and Silent. I would love for you guys to go check it out! Just a heads up, I'm going to post chapter 2 for Dark and Silent before I post chapter 5 for this fan fic.**

**Til' next time!**

**-AlphaDemon**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi mina! Here's chapter 5!**

_(Italics is thoughts and sounds)_

* * *

Lucy's POV

**Dear Mama,**

**It's been a week since school started. A lot happened in that week. It turns out that Lisanna and the brown haired and purple haired girls are in my fifth period art class. I learned that the brown haired girl's name is Evergreen Pixie and the purple haired girl is Mary Hughes. They often humiliate me during class, especially when they found out about my going to Natsu's place. Another thing I learned: they're really popular. Like really popular. And they want the guys for themselves. So much for art being my favorite class.**

**The group that went to Natsu's house on the first day of school haven't hung out like that either. We've been separated outside of school. But, during school we hang out, mostly during lunch. I've gotten comfortable around the weird boys and somewhat used to their strange habits and personalities.**

**The girls and I have been hanging out a lot. We even went shopping this weekend! From gossip, I learned two things; Levy's liked Gajeel since late last school year, and Juvia is in love (more like obsessed) with Gray. I'm trying to think of ways to help them, but so far I have nothing.**

**Natsu and I are friends now. (So much for the competition between us.) He's kind, funny, care-free yet cares for others, loyal, and courageous. But he's as dumb as a rock. No. He's dumber than a rock. And he doesn't know what personal space is. Three days ago, he found where I live. Which happens to be two blocks from his house. Since then, he's come over looking for something to do. I guess he comes here because I'm the closest to his house, but sometimes, okay most of the times, it's extremely irritating. He comes at the wrong times (when I'm eating dinner, about to shower, etc.), and he comes through the window. Who does that?! But, it's kind of nice to have company every now and then. If only he could schedule ahead of time...**

**Well, that about sums up my life right now. I hope you're doing well, wherever you are.**

**Lots of Love,**

**Lucy**

I set my pen down and swiftly put the letter in an envelope. Opening a drawer, I placed the closed envelope on top of the others I'd written over the years. A small tear escaped my eye as I thought of my deceased mother. Quickly, I wiped it away, only to be met with more warm liquid. Why I was crying, I didn't know. I'd been through this the first few letters I'd written. But, over time, I was able to write them without crying.

No matter how hard I tried, they wouldn't stop. I took deep, calming breaths. It helped, but didn't make them stop.

I heard the window slide up and the creak of my bed as weight was put on it. Hurriedly, I wiped the tears away and spun to look at the intruder. Onyx eyes stared back at me.

"Luce? What's wrong?" Natsu asked, honest concern evident in his voice. Hopping off my bed, he walked over to me.

"N-nothing." I mentally damned myself for stuttering. "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine." I gave a smile I hoped looked reassuring.

He gave me a skeptic look. "Are you sure? I can see the tear stains on your cheeks."

I touched my cheeks and realized they were damp. Pushing past him, I speed walked to the bathroom. I leaned against the now closed, and locked, door. Sighing, I stood. Grabbing a washcloth, I turned the sink faucet on. I thoroughly scrubbed the tear stains off my cheeks with it. I collected myself, then exited the bathroom.

Natsu's POV

_Gosh, I'm so bored._ I threw a ball in the air. It nearly reached the ceiling of my room before plummeting down to the floor where I lay. _I know! I'll go to Luce's place!_ I caught the ball and tossed it over my shoulder as I stood. Throwing on some jeans and a red T, I sauntered down the steps.

"I'm heading to Lucy's!" I called over my shoulder to my mom.

"Have fun! Be back by ten thirty!" She answered from the living room. I glanced at my phone's screen before heading out. It's only 8:03. That gives me about two and a half hours!

After a two to three minute walk, I stood in front of Lucy's apartment. I climbed up an oak tree next to the building. Carefully, I scurried along a branch that grew towards her window. Through the window I saw her. She was facing away from me. Reaching out, I grabbed the bottom of the window and slid it open.

The salty tang of tears filled my nostrils as I stepped onto her bed. Worry wormed its way up me. _Why's she crying?_

"Luce? What's wrong?" I asked once she turned to me. I jumped off her bed and walked to her.

"N-nothing." She stuttered, a clear sign she was lying. "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine." The smile she gave me was forced and didn't look the least bit reassuring.

"Are you sure? I can see the tear stains on your cheeks." I knew she was hiding something from me.

She touched her cheeks. Roughly, she pushed past me and rushed to the bathroom. It felt like ages had passed when she finally came out. I looked at her from where I sat on her bed. She glanced at me before walking towards an open drawer at her wooden desk.

"What do you want, Natsu?" The tone of her voice made it quite clear she wanted me to leave. She closed the open drawer.

"I came here cause I was bored, but now I want to know what the matter is."

"I told you already. Nothing's wrong. I'm fine." Her voice was bitter.

"The why were you crying?" I asked again.

"I wasn't!" She retorted.

"Yes, you were." I tried to keep my voice calm even though I was getting frustrated.

"I wasn't!" She was getting defensive now.

"Just tell me, Luce. Why were you crying?" My voice was gentle but firm.

"It's none of your business." Lucy mumbled.

"You're my friend. It is my business."

"No, it's not."

"Lu-"

"Just stop!" She shrieked. "Please, just let it go. I don't want to talk about it." Her voice was barely above a whisper now.

"... Just tell me this. Did someone hurt you?"

"No." I could tell by the way she said that simple word that she wasn't lying.

An uncomfortable silence passed between us. Lucy sat fidgeting on a chair in front of her desk. Finally I couldn't take it anymore.

"Why won't you tell me? We're friends, right?"

She looked at me with a soft expression. "Of course we're friends, Natsu." She paused. "It's just... The reason is personal. I've never told anyone about it. Not even Levy." She moved over and sat next to me on the bed. Her small hand rested on my arm to reassure me that we are indeed friends, and that she is, in fact, okay. "Maybe one day I can open up to everyone about it. I'm just not ready yet."

"Okay. When you're ready." I smiled to show I would respect her wishes.

Another silence. This time, however, it was a comfortable one. One part of my arm felt warmer than the rest so I looked down at it. Lucy's hand was still there. I looked up at her and she turned to look at me. She looked down. Then back at me. Her face flushed as she bolted her hand off my arm. The redness kept spreading throughout her cheeks. It was kinda... cute.

The once comfortable atmosphere turned awkward so I decided to act as if nothing happened and break it.

"Hey Luce? You got anything to eat? I'm starving!" I sprinted to the kitchen and threw the refrigerator door open. Sticking my head in, I looked at its contents.

"Natsu! Don't eat everything!" Lucy yelled from the doorway. I took a bite from an apple before glancing at her. What does she take me for? I thought while turning back to the fridge. A pig?

Lucy's POV

Beep! Be- I slammed my fist down on the annoying-as-hell alarm clock. I turned over in my pink blanket in hopes of going back to sleep. Memories of last night flooded my mind, making sleep impossible, though. The letter. Me crying. Natsu worried. The compromise. Him eating from my fridge. Wait... My fridge! I bolted from my bed to the stairs. He better have not cleaned it out! I almost ran into it in my hurry. I flung the door open to... a surprisingly stocked fridge.

"Phew," I sighed in relief. "He didn't eat everything." On my way out of the kitchen I glanced at the oven clock. 6:15 am. Time to get ready for school.

_He's late._ My foot was tapping impatiently as I waited for Natsu. Since he lives two blocks away from me in the opposite direction of the school, we decided that we would meet at my apartment at 7:00 am to walk together. I readjusted my backpack. Looking at my watch I sighed. 7:10. School starts in twenty minutes. I better get going.

Grunting I started the boring walk to school. I got a couple feet when I heard the slap of sandals on pavement.

"Lucy!" Yep. Definitely Natsu. I stopped and glared at him. "Hey. I-"

"You're late." I stated, still glaring. I don't think I've ever mentioned this, but I'm not a morning person.

"Yeah. Sorry. I woke up late then my little sister needed help with something..." He trailed off when his eyes finally met my gaze. I probably looked envious. It's not my fought, though. I've always wanted a sibling, and every time someone mentions theirs, I get this far off look on my face as I think of what it's like.

A large, calloused hand waved in front of my eyes. I snapped my attention back to reality. Damn it, Lucy. Every time.

"Huh? Yeah yeah, it's fine." Ignoring what he was saying, I looked at my watch. "Shit! Natsu we have ten minutes 'til school starts!" I took off sprinting. He easily caught up and, grabbing my wrist, sped up to speeds I could never hope to achieve. Natsu pulled me the entire way and, thanks to his inhuman speed, we made it in time. After saying a quick "ja ne", we separated to our home room classes.

Social Studies. The easiest class; the easy A. The only class I share with all the guys, who are sitting in the row in front of me. Social Studies, my second period class. What does all this add up to? Two words: nap time.

Class was almost over when I started drifting out of a wonderful sleep. I would have none of that, though. A soft snore escaped my lips as I wandered deeper into dream land. But alas, all good things come to an end.

"...You will complete this project in partners," Wakaba-Sensei was saying. "Stop looking at each other! I have chosen your partners. They're on the board. For the last five minutes of class, you will find your partner and discuss what you're doing for the assignment. This is NOT an in-class project so you will need to make meeting arrangements out of class." He walked to his desk as everyone moved to the board. Groans, moans, cheers, and shouts were heard as each person learned who their partner was.

I didn't bother to fight the crowd. Whoever my partner was would probably just come and find me. I was right. But I wasn't expecting him to be my partner.

A tap on my shoulder jolted me from my daydream to the person beside me. "Oh, hey Natsu." I greeted. "Who's your partner?"

He chuckled. "You are."

_Cool. Partnered with a friend. And I was able to avoid Evergreen._ I looked in her direction as she dragged the poor soul to a desk. _But... Isn't Natsu unbelievably stupid? That means I'll probably be doing all the work..._

"So, when and where are we gonna meet?" I asked.

"How 'bout my place tomorrow after school?"

"Sounds good."

"Then tomorrow we can meet at the usual spot to walk there together."

"'Kay."

He flashed his sunny smile, but it turned into a glare when a shirtless Gray crashed into him. They fell, rolling and fighting, to the floor. They shot up like rockets and bashed their foreheads together, glaring at each other.

"What the hell stripper?!" Natsu growled.

"It wasn't my fault hot head!" Gray snarled back.

"Then who's was it?!"

"Gajeel's."

They turned their heads to look at Gajeel. Fuming, they stormed to him and the three engaged in an argument. I sighed and turned away from the brawl they were now in. Just then the bell rung. I packed my things up and headed out the door. Turning my head, I called "See ya later guys!" to the three still fighting and Loki trying to stop them.

* * *

**Japanese Translations: ja ne- see ya**

**Not much for me to say...**

**One question though. When Natsu and Lucy are working on the project at Natsu's house (next chapter), should I do Natsu or Lucy's POV or switch the POV between them? Please PM or review with suggestions!**

**Til next time!**

**-AlphaDemon**


	6. Chapter 6

**Gomen mina! I didn't mean to take almost a month to update, but row (you know, like a boat), basketball, and goal ball (look it up if you're curious) started, and my teachers wanted to give the class a lot of homework and projects... Anyway, I lost track of time and I'm sorry. To make up for it, I added a NaLu moment that wasn't originally gonna be in this chapter.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Natsu's POV

We stopped by Lucy's apartment on our way to my house. She had said something about changing out of her school uniform.

With a click she unlocked the door and stepped in. I followed after her, plopping down on my favorite seat: the armchair in her small living room. Man, it's so comfortable. I could stay there all day. But nothing - and I mean nothing - will ever be better than her bed. It's like Kami himself gave it to her, with the mattress that engulfs you, the warm, pink duvet comforter and the feather-filled pillows that give you no choice but to curl up and enter a deep slumber. I would sleep on that bed for eternity if I could. It's even better than-

Lucy's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "You can just stay here while I go change."

I nodded and she walked to her room. She shut the door but then hastily opened it. "And don't clean out my fridge."

"Awww." I complained, already halfway to the kitchen. Grumpily, I made my way back to the armchair, where I sat down and pouted.

A few minutes later, Lucy came out from her bedroom. Instead of her uniform, she now wore a turquoise V-neck T-shirt, hot pink short shorts, and dark blue flip-flops. She grabbed a hair tie off a side table and put her hair up in a loose ponytail. Her back pack was slung on her shoulder.

"You ready?" I asked, standing up and grabbing my own back pack.

"Yep."

We exited her apartment and she locked the door behind us. Then, we made our way to my house.

* * *

I held the door open for Lucy. She stepped in and paused. I closed and locked the door, then gestured for her to go to the living room/kitchen.

"I forgot to mention this, but my parents and little sis aren't home right now. They'll be back around seven or somethin'." I said. Our footsteps echoed through the hall. Lucy replied with a "Mm'kay" as we entered to the kitchen table.

I practically threw my bag on the floor before plopping down on an armchair. Lucy was a little more mannered than me. She set her bag down out of the way and gingerly sat on the sofa across from where I was sitting.

"Do you want to change out of your uniform?" Lucy asked. I had totally forgotten about the uncomfortable uniforms we had to wear.

"Yeah," I replied. "Be back in a sec."

I leisurely made my way to the stairs, which are to the left of the front door where we entered. They creaked and groaned as I climbed them. Once at the top, I turned to the right, into a short hallway. I walked a few feet, then turned to the left into my room.

It didn't take me long to change and get back to the kitchen. I entered wearing a dark red T-shirt with my white scaly-looking scarf around my neck, black shorts, and barefoot.

Lucy was bent over the table, already working on the project. As I moved closer, I noticed notes strewn everywhere.

"Sooo... What're we doin' for this project?"

Lucy looked up from some papers and said, "Um, we need to make a map of the world, show each country and their geography, and give two facts about each continent and ocean. Then we need to choose five countries and write a paragraph about them." **(A/N I'm not in high school, so I don't know what you learn there, so just go with it.)**

"Okay. Uh, what do you need me to do?" I asked.

She thought for a moment. "Could you write down facts about the continents and oceans?"

"Sure." I grabbed my thick-as-hell binder from my backpack and set it on the kitchen table. I flipped through my notes, every now and then pulling a paper out. Several double-checks, look-overs, and scribbled notes later, I finally had everything I needed.

I sauntered around to the other side of the table, where Lucy was. On a gigantic poster board she had drawn North America (pretty well, I might add) and was now working on South America. She didn't notice me until I was hovering over her shoulder, admiring her artwork.

Lucy started and yelped, knocking her head into my chin.

"Ow, Luce!" I said, rubbing my sore chin and backing up. She glared at me.

"Don't hover over me!" she exclaimed.

"Okay, fine. I won't." I raised my hands in an 'I surrender' gesture. In a lower voice, I mumbled, "Jeez, I was only lookin' at her drawing."

"What was that?!"

"N-nothing!"

"So, what did you want?" Lucy asked.

"Huh? Oh, uh, I finished with the research." I replied, holding up the papers for her to see.

She took them and flipped through the pile. Every now and then, she would stop to read something on a piece of notebook paper. Probably the notes I wrote down.

When she finished, she gave me this... astonished look. It was like she wanted to say "You're actually smart?!"

Instead, she said, "This is really good, Natsu." I flashed a toothy grin. "Um, let's see... I guess you could-"

"Make snacks. On it!" I interrupted. Hey, don't blame me, blame my stomach.

I strolled to the pantry and thrust the door open, scanning the shelves. I grabbed a random box that looked good and set it on the counter before opening the fridge. There was a carton of milk, a pitcher of water, some apples, cheese, leftover dinner, and an entire drawer of vegetables. Placing an apple in my mouth, I grabbed another one and the water pitcher. At the counter, I poured two glasses of water. I returned the pitcher before bringing the snacks to the table.

Lucy watched me as I took a bite from the juicy fruit in my mouth. Her stomach growled. Chuckling, I tossed the other apple to her. She caught it and took a bite, moaning in pleasure as the fruit juices ran down her throat.

We both sat down at the table, eating our apples in silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, more like a comfortable and peaceful one.

I finished my snack first, Lucy close behind. When she finished, I took both the cores and threw them away.

Coming back to the table, I asked, "So, what now?"

Lucy opened her mouth to answer when she was interrupted by a soft 'mew' at her feet.

She looked down at Happy, my blue-gray cat. A small squeal escaped her lips as she picked him up and into her lap. Happy purred contentedly when Lucy started to rub behind his ears. I smiled at the sight.

"That's Happy."

She looked at me. "His name's Happy?"

"Yeah."

"... Odd"

I sent her a playful glare and crossed my arms over my chest in fake anger. "You got a problem with his name?!"

"No! No! It's just not a... common name." she defended. "Why's his name Happy?"

I softened my gaze at her. "My family had just lost a cat to a disease and we were all gloomy and sad. I was seven." I paused, remembering the beautiful red tabby tom I used to play with. He was like the brother I never had. His name was Flame because of his fiery fur, and I like hot things because they remind me of him and the way he looked like a blazing fire when he ran. "I was walking home one day and literally tripped over a box of free kittens in the middle of the sidewalk. There was only one cat left; he was so thin and sad. But when he saw me looking at him, he perked up and let out a happy little mew. So, I brought him home and when my family played with him they became overly happy. So I named him that; Happy."

"So you named him Happy because he made everyone happy," she murmured. A smile crept it's way onto her face. She turned to me, and it became a full grin.

"What?"

"It's just... That's adorable." Her cheeks were dusted with a small blush as she said this.

I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. "Well, I mean, he brought happiness. Plus I was, like, ten."

"Still adorable."

"Whatever."

We continued with the project for another couple of hours.

Lucy glanced at the wall clock, and her eyes widened a little. "Ne, Natsu." I turned my attention to her. "I should get going."

My gaze drifted to the clock, which read 6:30. "Okay. Let's pack up fir-"

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

I snatched the home phone from the kitchen counter and, not even glancing at the caller ID, answered it.

"Dragneel house."

"Natsu, it's mom. There's...huge storm...Wendy and I...stuck at..school...father is stuck at work. We're going...wait out... storm...home when...over." The line was breaking up, probably from the storm she mentioned.

"Okay, mom. I'm at the house. You guys stay safe and be home soon." I don't know how much of that made it through. I hope mom got enough to understand what I was saying.

"We will. See...soon, Natsu."

The line went dead.

I put the phone down. Somewhere from the hall, Lucy called "Bye Natsu!" The lock clicked.

"Wait! Luce!"

_BOOM!_

A loud clap of thunder made the windows rattle. I caught up to Lucy at the front door. Thank Kami she hadn't opened it yet.

"It was my mom that called. She said there's a huge storm, and I'm guessing it's here too. You can't go out in it." I locked the door back.

"Y-yeah. Okay."

Her eyes were opened wide and swimming with fear. Her whole body was trembling. She was scared.

"Luce? You okay?" I asked, my voice laced with concern.

"Y-yeah. I just-" Another _BOOM!_ sounded. Lucy flinched. "just don't like storms."

Gently, I grabbed her shaking hand in mine and led her back to the living room couch. She dropped her bag on the floor on the way. Thunder crackled outside, picking up in volume and frequency. Lucy's knees buckled and she fell on the couch. I grabbed a blanket and my iPod before sitting next to her.

* * *

Lucy's POV

Gosh, this embarrassing.

I pulled my knees to my chest and rested my head on them. The couch sunk a little when Natsu sat next to me. A blanket was placed over my shoulders. I lifted my head and pulled the blanket around me.

_BOOM!_

I flinched. I don't know why I'm afraid of storms. I just am.

"Here, Luce." Headphones were placed on my ears. Natsu gave me an iPod. Happy jumped in my lap as I scrolled through Natsu's songs, finally finding one I like and playing it.

I was halfway through the third song when the iPod ran out of battery. And the power went out. And the storm seemed to have only worsened. Plus, I could now see the lightning as well as hear the thunder. Sometime earlier Happy had left my lap, so I lost the comfort his warm fur gave me.

Great. Just great.

I took off the headphones and turned to Natsu. Who was asleep. Seriously, how does anyone sleep through this? Soft snores escaped from his open mouth, but were drowned out by the drum of thunder. As an even louder thunder clap boomed, I subconsciously moved closer to Natsu's soothing presence. I tapped him, whimpering "Natsu, wake up... Onegai, Natsu..."

The thunder relentlessly continued, getting louder each time. I finally found my voice as fear took over.

"Natsuuuuu!"

* * *

Natsu's POV

I jolted awake, my eyes shooting open, at the sound of Lucy's fear filled voice. I looked around, my eyes adjusting to the darkness. Wait, darkness? Did the power go out? Whatever. I have good night vision anyway.

I turned toward Lucy, who had moved closer and was now holding my arm in a death grip. The headphones and iPod were seated in her lap.

"Luce? Why're you not using the iPod?" I asked.

She held tighter to my arm as another thunder clap sounded, making me wince. Damn, this girl is stronger than she looks.

"Th-the battery d-died. So did the e-electricity," she managed.

She was shaking so much. Her voice was nothing but fear-filled. I'd never seen anyone so scared. It pained me to see my best friend this way. For some reason it hurt more to see Lucy like this than any of my other friends. I had this urge to protect her. I wonder why. I'll have to figure it out later, though. I have other issues at the moment.

"Oh, um." I moved the iPod and headphones to the empty seat on my other side. Without a word, I freed my captive arm and slung it over Lucy's shoulders, pulling her closer to me. I chanced a look and saw rosy red cheeks burrow further into my chest. I had to fight a blush of my own.

Slowly, her shaking subsided. Her breathing became more even as she started drifting off to sleep.

"Thank you, Natsu," she said, before falling in a slumber.

"Any time, Luce. Any time."

* * *

**Japanese Translations: onegai - please**

**Isn't Natsu just adorable and so kind!**

**There's really no reason that Lucy is afraid of storms, if you're wondering. I just needed a way to add a NaLu moment. And no, Lucy is NOT gonna be some scaredy cat wimp through the whole story.**

**So... I'm runnin' out of ideas to keep the story going and build the relationships (NaLu, Jerza, Gruvia, GaLe). I have a huge scene planned out where Lucy is... and Natsu is... and has something to do with Jude Heartifillia, Acnologia, and Zeref, but the NaLu relationship needs to build and become a thing before this can happen. If you have any suggestions/ideas, please let me know and if I use it I will give you full credit for the idea. If no one suggests anything, then, updates will be slower while I try to find something.**

**Rate and Review, ne?**

**-AlphaDemon**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi guys! I actually got another chapter out before Christmas Day! I'm so proud of myself! If you reviewed for chapter six or the author's note, please read the author's note at the end of this chapter.**

**Here's chapter seven!**

* * *

Lucy's POV

I woke up warm. _Really _warm. It wasn't a suffocating kind of warmth, but more of like the comfortable kind that you can't get enough of.

I pulled the blanket tighter around me. The sun's bright rays penetrated through my closed eyelids, causing me to snuggle deeper into my pillow.

…

…

…

Do pillows move?

No, didn't think so.

So why is mine fidgeting? And why is it hard? And bumpy? Is that an arm?

I cracked open an eye, squinting at the sudden brightness. Looking around, I realized this wasn't my house. Before panic could set in, I realized it was Natsu's place.

Wait… does that mean….?

I looked at my 'pillow' and nearly screamed when I saw Natsu instead. It only got worse when I noticed the position we were in.

I was half on Natsu's lap, using his chest as a pillow. His arm was securely around my waist. Our legs were a tangled mess. My arm was draped over his body. I had been hugging him in my sleep. And it looks like he had been hugging back.

What. The. Hell.

Is it okay for best friends to cuddle? I don't think so. Either way, I'd only ever let someone I love romantically cuddle me like this. No offense to the guy, but Natsu is not that someone. So, of course, I let my instincts take over. You know what they were screaming? Kick.

"LUCY KICK!"

My foot connected with Natsu's side, sending him sprawling to the floor. I stood. Believe me when I say I feel bad for doing that. But when you wake up cuddling with your best friend, would your reaction be any different?

A groan sounded from the floor. I looked down to see Natsu. He looked so pitiful and in pain. I feel worse now; he's probably going to have a bruise there later.

"What the hell was that for?" He rubbed his sore side, which didn't help me feel any less mean.

"Why were you cuddling me?!"

He gave me an incredulous look. "You were scared last night and I was comforting you. I was only doing what a good best friend would do."

Oh, yeah. Forgot about that… Now I feel like a bitch. God, I'm a terrible person right now. "Sorry, Natsu."

He sighed, and placed a hand on my shoulder after standing. "It's fine. Just please don't do it again. It really hurt."

So even the big, brave, courageous, tough, Natsu Dragneel can get hurt. And by a weakling like me, no less. I totally just got my self-confidence boosted.

"I make no such promises." Believe me when I say I don't want to kick Natsu again, but if something were to happen, not saying anything will, my instincts might take over again. Let's hope nothing happens.

The phone rang. Natsu answered it.

I patiently waited. Hahaha… no. I am not a patient person. Plus, I had just realized that it was a freaking school day. Oh, god. Oh, god. Oh, god. I can't be late! I was practically bouncing off the walls as I packed everything into my school bag. I wasn't even halfway done when Natsu walked over to me.

"Luce?"

I didn't look up as I continued packing. "What?"

"What're you doing?"

"Packing for school. You should too."

Of course he decided to inform me that because of flooding from last night's storm school was canceled AFTER I had everything packed up and ready to go. His face didn't show it, but I saw the amusement in his eyes. I will get him back for that. At least school was canceled, though, because it was already 8:30. We would've been late anyways.

He also explained that his mom and little sister were safe but stuck at the school. His dad was just going to stay at the office for work since he had spent the night there.

I sat down on the couch, sighing in relief. Natsu joined me.

A comfortable silence followed that information.

But good things never last long. Natsu's stomach let out the biggest growl I had ever heard. Anyone that didn't know his eating habits would've thought he hadn't eaten in days with how loud it was.

I chuckled. Natsu rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as his stomach let loose another low growl.

"Someone's hungry."

"Yeah. Kinda."

"Kinda? You sound like you haven't eaten since last week!"

"I'm always hungry in the morning," he confessed. "But… Idon'tknowhowtocook." He mumbled the last part so I didn't hear it.

"What'd you say?"

He sighed. "I don't know how to cook."

Figures. He loves to eat, yet he can't make his own food. Ironic, really.

Just then, a wonderful thought came to my mind. Payback.

"I can make some breakfast," I offered.

He perked up at this. "Really?"

"Yep."

"Awesome! Thanks, Luce." He had the widest, goofiest grin on his face.

"Hold on, now," I said. "I never said anything about making breakfast for you. You're on your own, Pinky."

His face was priceless. His jaw hung open in pure disbelief while his eyes swam with defeat and a hint of anger. The anger was probably at the nickname 'Pinky'.

I smirked at him before making my way to the kitchen. I found the ingredients to make egg, cheese, and pork burritos. Going as slowly as possible, I scrambled the eggs and melted the cheese on top. Then I added the pork – which had been heated in the microwave – to the mix and distributed it equally into two burrito shells.

Natsu was drooling. And I mean _literally _drooling. It was hanging out his mouth, dropping off his chin. He sniffed the air and looked about ready collapse in pure pleasure. My cooking's just that good. Not trying to brag or anything.

Without a word, I put the burritos on two separate plates and sat down. I patted the spot across from me. Natsu bounded over and sat down at the indicated spot, waiting eagerly for me to hand him his food. Too bad for him I decided to tease him some more by making him wait longer.

"You get this when I get some water," I said. He pouted, which was admittedly cute.

He grumbled "Fine" and got up. Still pouting, he returned with two glasses of water, placing one in front of me. That was when I decided he had had enough torture for right now. I placed one of the burritos in front of him.

* * *

Natsu's POV

Heavenly. That is the only way to describe Lucy's cooking. The warm cheese melted on top of perfectly scrambled eggs and savory pork created a wonderful taste that made my mouth water. I couldn't get enough of it, and in a matter of seconds, I had snarfed down the entire burrito.

I sat contently, patting my full belly. Then, something really embarrassing happened.

I. Freaking. Belched… _Loudly._

Lucy looked at me with wide eyes and part of her burrito in her mouth. She took a bite and chewed slowly. I was expecting her to yell at me about manners and all that shit when she swallowed. Instead, I got something no one would expect from a lady.

A belch. That was almost as loud and long as mine.

"Whoops," Lucy said while covering her mouth with her hand. "It slipped."

I gave her mischievous look. "Is that a challenge?"

She smirked. Oh, it is so on.

Simultaneously, we reached for our water glasses. We chugged down the contents in record time and burped. At the same time. With the same volume. The same length (which was looooong).

Next, we took turns in burping the alphabet. Lucy burped 'A', I burped 'B', then Lucy burped 'C', and so on. I was almost out of gas **(A/N: Get it? XD) **when I burped the last letter. Using all the remaining gas inside me, I burped out one long 'Zzzzzzzzzzzzz'.

Lucy was laughing her ass off across from me. Tears brimmed her tightly closed eyes as she doubled over in a fit of laughter. I joined in, clutching my stomach and willing the tears to not escape my eyes. We sat there, two teens laughing hysterically, doubled over and clutching our aching sides.

Best morning ever.

* * *

Lucy's POV

After our little burping contest, we decided to just hang out and talk. I sat on the couch while Natsu sat on the arm chair across from me. We both just sat there, unsure of what to say.

"Um…" I started. "So, uh, how's life?"

Natsu chuckled. "How's life? That's what you came up with?"

"At least I actually came up with something instead of sitting there awkwardly," I retorted.

"I'm not awkward!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Pfft, uh huh, sure you're not."

"I'm not," he grumbled. "Well, life has been good, I guess."

"That's good," I commented. Another silence followed. Man, this is awkward.

"Hey, Luce?" I hummed in response. "Now, what?"

"Hmmmm…. How about a movie?" I suggested.

"I'm in!"

And so, we spent the next probably thirty minutes fighting over which movie to watch. I wanted something dramatic and full of romance. Natsu wanted something action packed and scary, or a comedy. I could live with a comedy, but I don't do blood and gore and horror. Plus, everyone knows that when a guy and a girl watch a scary movie, it's so that the guy can do 'the move' on the girl. You know, the one where they put their arm around the girl's shoulders, pulling her closer to him so that he can 'protect her'. I'm a sucker for watching movies where that happens IN THE MOVIE, but I don't want it happening here, with my best guy friend. Just, no. If that were to happen, and my friends were to find out, then a lot of misunderstandings would occur about Natsu and I's relationship.

In the end, we decided on watching an action/drama movie. I made popcorn while Natsu started up the movie. One problem though, there was only one popcorn bowl.

"Natsu, do you have any more popcorn bowls?" I mean, come on, I've checked everywhere already.

"Nah, we only have the one. I kinda broke the other one," he replied over his shoulder.

"O-oh, okay. You can have the popcorn then." Dang it, I was really looking forward to that delicious, buttery snack. I poured the popcorn into the bowl and started walking to the couch.

Natsu joined me as I sat down. "We can share."

"A-are you sure?"

"Of course!"

"Okay then."

We both dug our hands into the bowl. Our fingers touched for just a second. But in that second, I felt a spark. Not a painful one, like a shock you get from metal, but one that I would need to feel again to know what it was. The movie started, making me stop pondering over it.

The end of the movie was near, I could feel it. I was on the edge of my seat, held in suspense. The admittedly hot main character was running down the deserted streets of his ruined and war-torn city. He was running to the person he loved, but was being chased by the enemy. Grabbing the rifle off his back, he spun around, and fired. All around him, his enemies fell dead with bullet holes piercing their body and blood staining their clothes. Not one stood a chance against him.

Unfortunately, enemy reinforcements were on their way. He kept running. And running. Finally, he made it to where he and his love were to meet. She wasn't there. He didn't have much time to use on waiting, but still he waited. His love soon arrived, coated in cuts and bruises, but nothing life threatening. They kissed, deep and passionate. There was nowhere for them to run, nowhere to hide. As one, they said "I love you". They kissed again, more fierce this time, as the building they were in was bombed. They went down in a blaze of glory, held in the arms of their lover. A sad, yet happy ending to a good movie.

Of course, Natsu thought otherwise.

"Oh come on! It can't end like that!" he yelled at the TV, which was now showing the end credits.

"It was a good ending, full of romance and love. They died happy." I said.

"But I hate when the good guys die! It's not fair to them! They deserved to live happily ever after!"

Like in a fairy tale. "Not all stories have a happy ending, Natsu. Take Romeo and Juliet for example."

"Yeah, I know. It's just better when they end happily."

"Yeah," I agreed, in a soft voice. My mom deserved a happy ending, but she died. No, she was murdered.

"Luce? Why're you crying?"

I touched my cheeks. They were wet. When did I start crying? I guess I need to let my feelings and emotions out, to someone I trust. My mom's death is starting to affect me again.

"I think it's time I told you why I was crying the other night when you came to my place."

* * *

**So, what'd ya think? I had fun writing this chapter, in all honesty. Lots of NaLu moments.**

**Jellal will hopefully come in next chappy, not sure though. Next chapter will be out probably after new years.**

**Happy Holidays to everyone!**

**Review Responses:**

CelestialWizard**\- I had Haruhi in mind when I was writing chapter six**

Shugo Fairy 4eva**\- bananas are good**

molly klein (guest)-** I have to agree with that**

MikurisanScarlet**\- thank you! I look forward to any suggestions you might have**

AnimeOnCookie**\- I know right!**

Guest**\- I have a Natsu Lucy Lisanna love triangle planned out, and I might do a Gray Juvia Lyon love triangle**

wickedgirl13**\- I'm definitely making more**

FlyingDoll4**\- yeah I know that you can see all of that on this website, but I got alerts on my e-mail so I knew. in other words, I'm too lazy to really check but I will check periodically.**

Ellella Grace (guest)**-**** Thank you so so so so so much!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! Sorry for the late update. Let me just go ahead and tell you that procrastination is the word that best describes me. Plus, I've been really busy, and then add homework, and writers' block... My plot bunny just did not want to freaking stay.**

**Thanks to everyone that followed, favorited, and/or reviewed!**

**Not much NaLu fluff in this chapter, and I apologize for that, but the next chapter will most likely be full of NaLu fluff. There is Lisanna drama in this chappy.**

**Here's chapter 8!**

* * *

Natsu's POV

"I think it's time I told you why I was crying the other night when you came to my place."

I didn't know how to react when Lucy said those words. Should I be anxious? Nervous? Should I comfort her? Just throw my arm around her waist, pull her close, and tell her everything's okay? That actually didn't sound like a bad idea… Wait, what?

Not knowing how to respond, I gave her a look that said I'm listening and I'm here for you.

Lucy took a deep breath, most likely steeling her nerves. "I was crying because…" she trailed off. This seemed hard for her to do. I didn't want to push her.

"You don't have to tell me if you're not ready."

She looked up at me. "No, no. I need to tell someone… It's just harder than I thought it would be."

I gave her time to gather her thoughts and word what she wanted to say.

"My mom was killed when I was young," Lucy started. I stiffened in shock. "Some thugs came into the house, looking for money and valuables. They wanted a necklace my mom had given to me; it was around my neck… She protected me, but at the cost of her own life. I saw my mom die, Natsu." Tears fell from her eyes as she spoke the last sentence in a voice barely above a whisper.

I didn't know what to do, what to say. How do you even respond to that type of knowledge? She saw her mom's death. She saw her get _murdered._ On top of that, she probably blamed herself because her mom protected _her._ Imagine all the guilt she'd been carrying.

I opened and closed my mouth. No words would form.

Lucy wiped away her tears. "So, that's why I was crying. Even though my mom is gone, I write letters to her. My emotions just got the better of me."

It was so hard to imagine, the pain, sadness, guilt. I didn't know how she lived with those emotions. They would have driven me insane.

A soft "oh" escaped my lips. "I had no idea," I mumbled.

"Natsu." Lucy's voice was hard, stern. "Please don't show me pity. I don't want it, and I don't need it."

"Y-yeah. Okay."

She sighed. When she spoke next, her voice was softer, "It felt good to get that out. Thanks, Natsu."

"Uh, no problem?"

"Don't think of me any differently." Lucy stated.

"I wasn't!" I defended.

"Yes, you were. Your eyes give you away."

"Okay, fine, you got me. It's just that I can't imagine going through that," I confessed.

She gave me a small smile. "Sometimes bad things happen, and there's nothing you can do about it." She looked upwards, staring at nothing. "But, they make you stronger."

I continued to look at her. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

A silence followed where both of us were lost in our own thoughts. One question popped up in my mind, and I couldn't stop the words from leaving my mouth.

"What about your dad?"

Instantly, Lucy's mood turned sour. "Let's leave that for another day." Her voice was bitter.

"S-sure," I stuttered, taken aback at her sudden mood change.

She must be going through something, because her mood became all cheerful again as she said, "How about you? I know your parents, but what about your little sister I keep hearing of?"

I smiled broadly. "Wendy's great! She's in middle school, makes good grades, and has lots of friends. I think she even has a crush on a kid near here."

"Really?! Who is it?" Lucy exclaimed. Oh, yeah. I forgot most girls love to gossip about relationships.

"His name is Romeo Conbolt. His dad and he are friends of the family. I have a picture of Romeo and Wendy." I got up and walked to the mantle above the small fireplace. Grabbing a picture, I returned to my seat and gave it to Lucy.

"Awe," Lucy fawned, looking at Wendy standing next to Romeo, who was taller than her, in the picture. "They'd make such a cute couple!"

"It'd be kinda awkward, though. Romeo calls me Natsu-nii."

"Yeah. It'd still be cute though."

"Sure."

"How about our friends?" Lucy asked.

"Huh?"

"Who would they make a good couple with?"

What?

"Maybe Gray and Juvia?" Lucy pondered.

How did we even get on this topic?

As Lucy kept rambling about girl stuff, I checked the clock.

"Hey, Luce? It's getting late."

"Is that your way of saying you don't give a shit about what I'm talking about?" she asked before she checked the clock. "Crap! It is late!" she yelled before packing up her things.

* * *

Lucy's POV

I hurried around the room, picking up and packing my belongings. I hadn't realized the time until Natsu pointed it out. The clock read six in the afternoon. I had to get back to my apartment so I had time make dinner and finish some homework while still going to sleep at a reasonable time.

As I hefted my bag over one shoulder, a flash of white caught my eye. It was probably just a rabbit or something. Maybe it was a neighbor's dog? Either way, it wasn't something I was overly concerned about.

Saying a quick good-bye to Natsu, I exited the house, waving on my way out. Natsu waved back to me before shutting the door.

On the short walk home, I walked on the raised pathway next to the river. My arms were spread out to help me balance as I placed one foot in front of the other.

"Be careful, miss!" a passing by fisherman called from his boat.

"I will!" I assured him.

After the fisherman went by, I kept walking along the river. Suddenly, I heard something behind me. I whipped my head around, looking behind me. There was no one.

An unsettling feeling filled my gut. I kept walking, but I had my head turned a little so that I could see behind me with one eye.

A shadow moved behind a bench. I was definitely being followed. Was it a stalker? A rapist? A kidnapper? I had no idea, but I wasn't about to stick around and find out. I hopped off the raised walkway and down to the main path. I speed walked the rest of the way to my apartment building.

Once safely inside, I locked the door and the window. I also closed the curtains on the window. I was taking no chances.

After a while, I peeked out my window. No one was there. I did the same with my door. Again, no one.

Sighing in relief, I moved onto doing my nightly things: making and eating dinner, finishing homework, showering, and finally going to bed.

I walked to school the next morning. The walk was peaceful with no signs of stalkers or creeps following me.

Levy wasn't at the front doors when I got there. _She's probably at book club or something,_ I thought. Erza had already told Levy and I that she had student council things to do this morning, and I didn't know where Juvia was. Looking around, I didn't spot the guys, either. I decided to just enter the building.

Once at my locker, I unpacked my things, keeping what I needed for first and second period. I slammed my locker shut and attached the lock. I had made it pretty early to school today, so I decided to wander around and look for one of my friends. Maybe I could find Cana.

A turn to the right led me to a relatively empty hallway. Odd, usually the place was bustling with people trying to get classes while still talking to their friends. A feeling settled in my gut, telling me something wasn't right. I turned around to head back the way I came.

I couldn't go that way, though.

Evergreen Pixie and Mary Hughes blocked my path. They both glared at me smugly.

"Uh, hi," I said awkwardly. "Can I pass through?"

Mary snorted. "'Course not, dumbass."

Evergreen used her pointer finger to slide her glasses up in a gesture that said 'superiority'.

I put my guard up. Obviously they meant trouble. "Why not?"

"You ignored my warning, bitch."

I spun around and came face-to-face with none other than Lisanna Strauss. She glowered at me, completely pissed off. What warning she was talking about, I had no idea.

"And what warning would that be?" I snapped.

She scoffed. "To stay away from Natsu."

My anger bubbled over then. Who was she to tell me who to stay away from?

"What the hell is your problem?! Why do you not like Natsu and me hanging out?! For Pete's sake, we're friends having a good time! What's so bad about that?!"

Lisanna advanced. "You're my problem!" she yelled. "Ever since you came here, Natsu has been spending more time with you than me! I'm his childhood friend! I should be more important than you! He's going distance himself away from me whether he realizes it or not, and then I'll be just a distant memory as he's happily running off with an asshole like you!" Most girls in this situation would probably be on the verge of tears, but Lisanna was a raging fire ready to burn anything and everything in her way.

I took a minute to process all this. Then I spoke some words that were most likely unwise, but I couldn't stop myself. "So… you're jealous because Natsu's hanging out with me? That's it?"

"'That's it'?!" Lisanna spluttered. "You're stealing my future boyfriend from me!"

"'Future boyfriend'?" I asked. "You were going to confess to him before I came, weren't you?"

Behind me, Evergreen muttered, "Now she gets it."

"What do you think?!" Lisanna shouted.

"Listen," I said. "I am not interested in Natsu in that way. We are just friends, nothing more. I will not stand between a possible relationship between you and Natsu. I have no plans on ruining your relationship with him in any way."

"But I think you do."

My eyes widened in shock. Did she seriously not hear and/or understand that speech I had just given? "Why?"

"I went to Natsu's house yesterday to confess, but you and he were snuggled together on the couch, fast asleep. Then you two acted like a couple that was living together. Yeah, that totally shows me you're not trying to make him yours."

I looked at her, a shocked expression plastered on my face. Was that what it looked like? I gathered my thoughts and worded what I wanted to say before replying.

"First off, the snuggling was not meant to happen at all. Secondly, we were just hanging out and having fun, and I'm sorry if your pea-sized brain misunderstood that." Okay, so maybe calling her brain pea-sized wasn't such a good idea, but I was fuming at the time and it just came out. "And thirdly, 'make him mine'? What is he, some kind of object? You can't 'make someone yours'. It's a decision that both sides make when a couple is formed. If that's how you view men, as some tool or object at your disposal, it's no wonder you don't have a boyfriend, and I doubt Natsu would ever be in a relationship with you."

Really stupid move on my part, but I was standing up for both Natsu and I. I had no choice but to make things clear. However, I probably shouldn't have insulted her view on men, because she was absolutely seething with rage. I swore I could see it radiating off her in overpowering waves.

The next thing I knew, Lisanna had me pinned by one arm to the lockers, her other arm raised in a fisted hand, aimed at my head. When she swung her fist forward, I moved my head to the side, causing her to punch the hard, metal locker instead of my face.

"You bitch!" Lisanna shrieked, releasing me so that she could cradle her injured hand.

Her posse took that as their cue to come at me. Believe me when I say this, I didn't want to intentionally hurt them, assuming I could even land a hit.

Evergreen rushed me, her fist level with my nose. I moved to the side right as her fist made contact with the space I was just in. Evergreen's foot came up in a deadly side kick, aimed for my torso. My reflexes saved me, making me jump back just in time. She took that chance to aim another, much higher kick, at my head. I ducked without a second to spare and rolled under her raised leg. Now behind her, I pushed her just enough to make her collide with Lisanna and Mary, who were assessing the damage to Lisanna's hand. They fell in a heap on the floor, giving me an opportunity to bolt.

I didn't make it far before a hand grabbed the back of my shirt, pulling me backwards and throwing me to the floor. My back hit the ground hard, knocking the wind out of me. I looked up right as Mary kicked me in the stomach. I coughed up some blood. I curled on my side, holding my stomach. Mary kept kicking my abdomen. Evergreen joined in by kicking my back. It hurt. It hurt so much. I had never felt this much pain before. But there was nothing I could do against three people out for blood, especially since I wasn't the type to hurt others, even if they were hurting me.

The light started to fade. My vision became blurry, my breathing ragged and shallow. Movement down the hall caught my attention. Everything was one big blur. I only saw pink and dark blue before a well aimed kick to my head, courtesy of Lisanna, made me black out.

The last thing I heard was a voice. A familiar voice that soothed my worries, calmed my nerves, and encouraged me. A voice that was always so cheerful, and came from the smiling face of my idiotic best friend.

"LUUUUUUCCCCYYYYYY!"

* * *

**How was it? Personally, I love this ending so much.**

**I don't really have much to say... So I guess please leave a review! It's really motivational and will help me update quicker.**

**'Til next time!**

**-AlphaDemon**

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	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone! This update is late, I know, and I'm sorry for that. Thanks to all y'all that are still with me, it means a lot!**

**Thanks to everyone that followed, favorited, and/or reviewed! (Review Responses will always be in the bottom author's note for all of my stories, so I'm going to stop reminding y'all.)**

**Here's chapter nine!**

* * *

Natsu's POV

"Say it again, Ice Prick. I dare you," I snarled. My rival had just insulted me like usual, and it started another one of our brawls.

"You're hair is pink, Flame Fart," Gray repeated his earlier insult, smirking wider at me.

I growled, bashing my forehead against his as we continued to walk down the deserted hallway.

"It's salmon, _salmon,_ not pink, Shitty Snow."

Gray was about to retort when we turned a corner and met two of the school's snottiest girls: Mary Hughes and Evergreen Pixie. Man, they always got on my nerves.

They moved in front of something, blocking our view of it, and gave us a sparkling gaze.

"Oh Natsu-kun~," Evergreen sing-songed. I held back the rising bile in my throat.

"Gray-kun~," Mary called. Gray gagged next to me.

We were about to turn away when something caught my eye, something blond. I moved forward; Mary and Evergreen moved closer together to block my path.

"What's behind you," I demanded.

"N-nothing," Evergreen said. The stutter in her voice said otherwise, betraying her.

"What're you hiding?" Gray came up next to me.

"None of your business." Mary took a hostile tone.

I furrowed my brows. They were obviously hiding something.

Gray and I pushed past them roughly. What we saw horrified me, making me cry out:

"LUUUUUUCCCCYYYYYY!"

A beaten and bruised Lucy laid unconscious on the ground, her breathing shallow and labored, and Lisanna kneeling over her head. Lisanna turned her head around so that she was facing us. Tears were threatening to spill from the corners of her eyes.

"N-Natsu," she breathed out, "I-I tried to help her, honestly, but those two wouldn't let me get near. They did this to her." She started crying.

"You bitches!" I roared, spinning around to confront them.

"Why the hell'd you do this?!" Gray yelled.

Instead of answering us, the two girls turned and ran like the cowards they were. I started to chase after them, but Gray stopped me.

"You help Lucy. I'll get them and make them pay." He ran after them, leaving me no choice but to stay with Lisanna and Lucy.

Lisanna threw herself into my arms, crying into my chest. I looked down at the top of her head, unsure of how react to this.

"I tried, I really did!" Lisanna wailed into my shirt. "If only I'd been faster she wouldn't have-"

"Lisanna," I cut her off, "it wasn't your fault. Now I need to go get Lucy to Mira, so please let go." Okay, maybe that was a little harsh, but with my best friend lying unmoving on the floor I was in no mood to comfort a self-blaming girl. I needed to get Lucy some help, and I needed to do it right then.

Gently, I pushed Lisanna away from me and stooped down next to Lucy. She looked awful, with blood trailing down her face and through her hair, bruises and cuts everywhere, not to mention the giant knot forming on her forehead. The sight made me want to kill those two bitches that did this to her, bring them back, and kill them again.

With sad and worried, yet determined eyes, I scooped Lucy into my arms and carried her, bridal style, down the hall. The bell had already rung for the start of first period, but I didn't care. Lucy needed my help and I was going to give it to her.

Lisanna trailed after us quietly. I didn't know what she was doing back there, but I would occasionally hear her sniffle and mutter.

Turning a corner brought the three of us to the door to the nurse's office. I didn't bother to knock as I used my foot to nudge the door open. I called for Mira as I placed Lucy down on a bed softly, careful not to hurt her further.

The white haired nurse rushed into the room from her office; her eyes went wide when she saw the state Lucy was in, and she rushed to the cabinets to get antiseptics and bandages and other medical stuff I couldn't identify. She hurried to Lucy, shooed Lisanna and I away from the bed, and got to work.

I watched with an eagle's eye as she delicately wiped and bandaged Lucy's wounds. Every time Lucy flinched, I wanted so bad to sprint to her side and comfort her. It was the worst thing, seeing her in so much pain. She didn't deserve it, and I was set on finding out why Mary and Evergreen did this to her. It seemed to be much more than a 'show you who's boss' type thing.

As Mira continued her work, Lisanna latched onto my arm. She had calmed down quickly.

"Come on, Natsu, we need to get to class."

I didn't move my gaze from where Lucy laid. Lisanna's grip tightened.

"Natsu, come on." She pulled on my arm, but I didn't budge.

"Natsuuuu," she whined.

"I'm staying here. With Lucy," I stated. I pulled my arm free of her death grip.

"But-"

"I'm staying here."

Her gaze hardened a bit. "Na-"

"Natsu can stay if he wants," Mira interrupted her younger sister, "but you, Lisanna, need to go to class."

"Nee-chan!" Lisanna whined. "I want to stay too!"

"You seemed pretty eager to leave a second ago. Now go, get to class," Mira ordered.

Lisanna huffed, pouting, and stomped from the room.

Mira turned back to Lucy and wrapped up one last bruise on her arm. She placed an ice pack on Lucy's forehead before looking at me.

"Well, since you're here, you can stay with her to make sure nothing gets worse. I have some work I need to do."

I nodded, moved closer to Lucy, and sat in a nearby chair next to her bed. Mira headed to her office.

"She," I said before Mira was gone, "she will be okay, won't she?"

Mira turned to me with soft eyes. "Yes."

Then she entered her office.

First, second, and third period had passed by when Lucy gave the first sign of being alive other than breathing. It was such a relief, and a little surprising, too.

Her hand reached out and grabbed mine.

I gave hers a gentle squeeze.

It was twenty minutes after that when she started to wake. My entire being relaxed upon seeing her chocolate brown eyes open.

"N-Natsu?"

* * *

Lucy's POV

I slowly opened my eyes. Once my vision had adjusted, I made out the form of my best friend looking at me worriedly.

"N-Natsu?"

"Luce! You're awake!" he exclaimed, relief clearly evident in his voice.

"Y-yeah," I said.

At the sound of voices, Mira walked into the room. She looked at me with the same relieved eyes as Natsu. What had happened? I didn't remember much after a kick to my head.

I slowly sat up, unaware of Natsu and I's adjoined hands.

"How do you feel?" Mira asked as she checked all my bandages. I assumed since I was in the nurse's office that Mira had patched me up.

"Okay, I guess."

"Are you in pain?" She looked at me.

There was no denying that I was. An extreme amount, too. My body ached in places I didn't even know I _had_.

"Yeah," I admitted.

"Here," Mira said, handing me a container of pills and a bottle of water. "Take two of those, they should help."

"Thanks," I said, "for everything."

"You're welcome. I just hope the next time we see each other is out of the nurse's office."

"I agree," I said. Natsu chuckled his agreement next to me.

Mira smiled. "Stay in here for ten more minutes so that I can make sure nothing changes now that you're awake. Then Natsu can take you home." She paused. "Don't mind me asking, but do you live alone?"

"I do," I confirmed, shifting into a more comfortable sitting position.

"Hmm," Mira contemplated. "In your current condition I don't recommend being alone, just in case anything were to happen. Maybe you could stay with a friend until you're healed."

"You can stay with me, Luce."

I turned to Natsu. "Huh?"

"You can come to my house and stay there until you're better. I don't think my parents will mind, and you'll be able to finally meet Wendy!"

"I guess I could do that, if I won't be too much of a burden," I said.

He held up my small hand in his bigger one, lightly brushing his lips over my knuckles. "You're never a burden, Luce."

I blushed at the affectionate action and gave a small nod, not being able to find words.

"So you'll come?" He lowered our hands, but did not detach them from each other.

I nodded again, my face still flushed, and gave him a small smile.

Suddenly a flash went off, momentarily blinding me, and I heard an excited squeal from a few feet in front of me. I blinked a few times, letting my eyes readjust, and looked at the source of the light. It was Mira. And she was holding a camera.

"You two are so cute together!" she gushed. For a grown adult, she could act like a child sometimes. I'd heard that she was Fairy Tail High's matchmaker.

"Mira!" I exclaimed. She had taken a picture of us! No! People would get the wrong idea about us.

"Look!" she shoved the camera in my face. The picture was well taken, with Natsu and me looking into each others' eyes, our hands connected and resting between us. It looked like we were a couple, which we were _not._

"That's a good photo," Natsu complimented nonchalantly.

"Why did you take that?!" I had no idea what plans the 'Demon' Mirajane had in store for us.

She giggled somewhat evilly. "To show at your wedding," she joked. At least I think she was joking.

"Our relationship isn't like that!" I countered.

She only giggled again.

"Like what?" I turned to face my confused best friend – not lover, best friend – and gave him a dumbfounded look. Had he seriously just asked that?

"You know," I said, my voice sounding shy. "Like _that._"

He rolled his eyes at me. "That's so very helpful, Luce."

I opened and closed my mouth, unsure of how to explain what Mira meant. He seriously was dense; I didn't think anyone wouldn't know what _that _type of relationship is.

"What she means, Natsu, is a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship," Mira explained. "Dating."

A soft "oh" escaped from Natsu. "We're not like that."

"But I bet you will be," Mira teased.

By now my face was flaming red from my blush, and I was ready to get off this subject. It was a ludicrous idea, Natsu and I dating, and we were no more than best friends.

Natsu seemed to be fed up, too, because he yelled "No!" at the same time as I did. Unfortunately, that only made Mira squeal more.

* * *

We finally managed to get out of there, away from Mira's teasing. Natsu walked with me to my locker, then his, the office to excuse our absence for the day, and finally to the parking lot where we waited for Natsu's mom, Grandine, to pick us up. Sometime during our walk in the hallways, Natsu had called his mom to explain the situation and she had agreed to my staying over at the Dragneel's place and our leaving school early.

So there we were, outside, in the chilly air, waiting for Grandine. It was wet, too, from the previous day's thunderstorm.

"Ne, Luce?"

I turned my gaze to Natsu. "Yeah?"

"This is a 'what if' question," – he looked anywhere but at me, clearly nervous – "but—hypothetically speaking—what would you say if someone were to ask you out?"

* * *

Natsu's POV

I didn't know what made me ask that question. Honestly I didn't. It was just that the thought of another guy being near Lucy, _touching _her, bothered me to no end. I didn't know why, it just did. I didn't want anyone other than me to be near her, to touch her, hold her, comfort her, _love _her.

The question had slipped out before I could stop it. I didn't fully regret voicing my thought, but I wasn't sure how it would affect our friendship. Would it make things awkward? Tense? Would we even still _have _a friendship after that kind of personal question?

You see, the thing is, I had never been in love before. I didn't know what it felt like, how it would affect me and those I cared about. I didn't know a thing about it, and that kind of scared me. I also didn't know I was in love at the time.

"I don't know, Natsu." She didn't look at me as she answered my question. "It would depend on if I love them or not."

Another question escaped my lips before I could bite my tongue. "What type of guys do you like?"

She didn't hesitate in her answer. "Someone caring, kind, and sweet. Someone who's protective and supportive, helpful and determined. Someone that is not afraid to show their true self. Someone that loves people for who they are."

Her next sentence made my heart skip a beat and my chest flutter happily.

"Someone like you."

* * *

**NaLuuuuuuu! Ah, I just love it!**

**Ahem, anywaaaays... I don't know when the next chapter will be, but I'll get it out here!**

**Well, I don't have much else to say... So**

**'Til next time!**

**-AlphaDemon**

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	10. Chapter 10

**Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a while. Writers block and life got in the way...**

**Thanks to everyone that followed, favorited, and/or reviewed!**

**Here's chapter ten!**

* * *

Lucy's POV

Levy squealed. She legitimately squealed.

"You liiiiike him," she teased.

"I do not!" I exclaimed, my face flushing.

I had just told Levy about what happened yesterday after Natsu and I left the nurse's office. She was so excited and giddy when I told her about what I said to Natsu. But now, I realized, she wouldn't ever drop the subject. I could just feel the rumors flying everywhere on Monday.

"Yes you do! Just admit it!" Levy argued. She seemed so determined to get me to admit that I had feelings for my idiotic best friend that it was hard to say no.

But I did.

"Do not!"

"Do to!

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Then what about you?!" Ah, I just loved my genius-ness. Finally, I had an idea that could change the topic from Natsu and I to Levy and—.

"What?" she asked.

I smirked. "I see the way you look at Gajeel Redfox."

Now it was her turn to blush bright red. The tide of this conversation had turned.

She mumbled something inaudible.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" My smirk widened.

Levy looked to the side, her blush deepening. "So what if I do?" she mumbled.

My jaw dropped. She admitted it?! I didn't expect her to do that!

She turned her head to look at me, a triumphant smile plastered on her face. "Your turn," she stated.

"Huh?"

"Just admit it already."

"No," I said, my tone flat, "I won't admit to such lies."

Levy's eyes glinted dangerously. "Unless you want me to get Erza, I suggest you admit it."

I winced. Erza… I didn't want her to find out so soon.

"Fine," I sighed. "I may, possibly, have some feelings for Natsu."

* * *

Natsu's POV

"And then she said 'someone like you'," I finished, a tint of pink on my cheeks.

The guys all stared at me. Gray was the first to speak up.

"Nice, man! That means she likes you."

"But it also means Natsu has stolen my Princess from me!" Loki wailed overdramatically.

"She was never yours to begin with," Gajeel grunted from next to me.

"I had a chance!" Loki protested.

"Guys, guys," I said, trying to get their attention. It worked; they all had their gazes locked on me. "Um, there's a slight problem…"

Gray's eyebrows rose. "What is it?"

I looked down at my lap, avoiding eye contact. "I kinda…"

Gray and Loki leaned across the table. "What, what?" they asked in unison.

"…like Lisanna," I finished. _I think_, I added to myself.

Dead silence followed my confession.

Gray leaned back into his chair. "Well," he said, "that complicates things."

Loki mimicked Gray's action, although he was smiling. "But now I have another chance with Lucy!"

"Wait, guys," I said, gaining their attention again. "Um, I like Lisanna. But I think I also like Lucy."

"So," Gajeel drawled, "let me get this straight. You like Lisanna?" I nodded. "But you also like Bunny-girl?" I nodded again, wondering why he called Lucy 'Bunny-girl'.

I looked across the table. Loki looked surprised while Gray had this look of 'I knew it'.

"So what are you going to do?" Loki asked me.

"That's the thing," I admitted. "I don't know."

"Hmm," Gray pondered.

The rest of us looked at him inquisitively.

"Which one do you like more?" he eventually asked.

I shook my head. "I don't know."

"Well then," he said. "I suggest you spend time with both of them and see which one you're more attracted to. Other than that, I don't have any other ideas."

I nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll try that."

"Which one are you going to hang out with first?"

I turned my head to look over at Gajeel. He was sipping his drink.

I opened my mouth to answer, but Gajeel interrupted me.

"And don't say 'I don't know'."

My mouth closed.

Then it opened again. "Well, Luce is staying at my place until she recovers."

Gray gagged on his drink.

"Lucky bastard!" Loki exclaimed while hitting Gray's back in an attempt to help.

"Nice goin', Salamander," Gajeel smirked, holding his fist up. I bumped his fist with mine.

Gray, having recovered, voiced his thoughts: "With Lucy staying at your place, you'll be spending a lot of time with her." Loki groaned; everyone ignored him. "So, I think you should use school to spend time with Lisanna."

I smiled. "Good idea, Stripper!"

"Who you callin' Stripper?!" Gray growled.

I accepted the challenge. "You, you Perverted Popsicle."

And of course, that started another brawl, one that Gajeel and Loki somehow got mixed in, too.

* * *

Lucy's POV

"Natsu," I said into the phone, "relax. I'm fine."

"_But, Luce—_"

"Don't worry, okay? I'm at Levy's house."

I heard him sigh. "_Alright, fine,_" he said. "_But be at my house by seven! No, scratch that, I'll be at Levy's to pick you up at seven. It's too dangerous for an injured person to be out at night. What's Levy's address?"_

It was my turn to sigh. Natsu was just too overprotective sometimes.

I quickly told him Levy's home address and hung up.

Stashing my cell phone in my pocket, I turned around. Levy was leaning against her doorframe, a smirk plastered on her face.

"Don't," I threatened, my voice steely, "say anything."

Levy's smirk only widened.

She turned on her heel, calling over her shoulder, "Come on, Lu-chan, let's go do some homework."

I limped after her.

* * *

"Hey Levy," Natsu greeted as Levy opened the door for him to enter her home.

"Hi Natsu," Levy chirped, motioning to the kitchen where I was packing my things.

Natsu entered the kitchen, Levy following after him, and greeted me with a, "Hey Luce."

"How many times have I told you it's Lucy, not Luce?" I grumbled. Natsu chuckled.

Rolling my eyes, I hefted my bag over my shoulder and made my way towards the front door. Natsu trailed behind me. I heard Levy giggling behind him.

"Bye Levy-chan," I called, opening the door.

"Later, Lu-chan. Nice to see you again, Natsu," Levy replied, and then shut the door behind Natsu and I.

I turned to Natsu, but before I could say anything, I felt the weight of my bag disappear.

"I can carry my own things, Natsu," I huffed. He held the bag out of my reach as I tried to get it back.

"You're hurt," he stated. "So I don't want to put anymore strain on you than I have to." He slung my bag over his shoulder—the one farthest from me.

I exhaled deeply. "Fine," I mumbled.

Natsu only gave me his signature grin.

I rolled my eyes, continuing up the road with Natsu keeping pace to my right. We walked in silence for a bit. It was a comfortable silence, not one of those awkward, sometimes embarrassing ones. It was quiet, calm; it was peaceful.

Natsu was the one to break the silence.

"Ne, Luce?"

I turned my head to look at him. "Hm?"

His eyes darted around, looking anywhere but at me. He rubbed a hand through his hair sheepishly.

"So, uh… One of my friends—he kinda likes this girl…"

That gained my attention.

Natsu continued, "But he also thinks he likes another girl."

"Okay?" I said. "Why're you telling me this?"

"Well, um," he stuttered, "he thinks the first girl—the one he knows he likes—he thinks she likes him back." He looked at me then, his eyes so confused and conflicted. It was as if his friend's problems were his own. But, they weren't, right?

"And, well, he also thinks the second girl likes him. He's not sure what to do because he likes them both, and he only _thinks _they both like him."

I raised one brow curiously. "So you want to help him?"

"Yeah."

"But you don't know how to," I guessed, "so you asked me?"

"Yeah," he repeated.

"Hmm," I pondered. After giving it some thought, I asked: "You said he knows he likes one of the two girls, right?" Natsu nodded. "Well, then, I suggest he try for that girl first—you know, see if she likes him back." Natsu nodded again, listening to everything I was saying. "If she doesn't, then he should ask the second girl. Or, if before the first girl gives any indications she likes him, the second girl was to ask him, he should give her a chance."

I removed the hand from my chin that I had placed there while thinking, also returning my wandering gaze to Natsu.

"Does that help?" I asked, hoping it did.

He nodded once more. "Yeah, it does. Thanks, Luce."

I smiled softly. "Glad to help."

The rest of the walk was silent.

* * *

Natsu's POV

I lay in bed, thinking over what Gray and then Lucy had told me. I was confused, conflicted, doubtful; but more than that I was nervous. I, Natsu Dragneel, was actually _nervous_. I didn't remember the last time I had felt so _helpless_. You see, when it came to stuff like this—stuff that involved romantic relationships—I was clueless. I was not the romantic type. I didn't know where to take a girl, how to treat a lover or a crush, or even how to ask someone out. So of course I was nervous and a little scared. What if I screwed up? What if neither of them wanted to see me again because I messed up so bad? I didn't know what I would do without Lucy's bright smile, her cheery attitude, friendly nature, and comforting presence. I didn't know what I would do without Lisanna always there to help me through hard times, to hug me just because I needed one, to just be there. My life would be so much different without them in it.

But, wait, they wouldn't leave, right? Lisanna I've known since we were kids. We're childhood friends for goodness' sake! She'd been with me through thick and thin. She wouldn't leave me.

And Lucy, who I'd only known for a few months, was the same. Sure, I hadn't known her as long as I had Lisanna, but she wouldn't leave either. We had become the best of friends, practically inseparable. She might even be a closer friend to me than Lisanna.

I sighed. All that thinking was making my head hurt.

It was after I had run a hand down my face and decided to try and get some sleep that I heard it.

A muffled scream and stifled sobs from the room next to mine.

Lucy's room.

* * *

**So, again, sorry for the late update. And the short chapter. This was just the perfect spot to end it. Cliffhanger~!**

**Well, um, all I have to say is I hope I update faster... I'll do my best to! Oh, and thanks to all you people that have put up with my bad updating! It means so much to me that you keep reading even though I'm so slow! Arigatou!**

**Til next time!**

**-AlphaDemon**

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	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone! I am so, so, so sorry for taking so long to update! I'd like to take this time to thank everyone that's stayed with me through my terrible updating. Thank you so very much!**

**Also, thanks to everyone that followed, favorited, and/or reviewed!**

**Here's chapter 11!**

* * *

Natsu's POV

I was out of my bed quicker than I thought was possible, and I was throwing open my door and sprinting to the next room quick as lightning. Precariously, I slammed Lucy's door open and stepped inside. My eyes, not having adjusted to the dark yet, couldn't make anything out, so I hurriedly grasped at the wall in search of the light switch. When I found it, in record time too, I flipped it on.

What I saw horrified me.

Two men were in the room, one holding Lucy's arm behind her back, the other stuffing a gag in her mouth. The one holding her had a large build, and long, spiky black hair with electric-blue tips. His piercing static-y blue eyes bore into my onyx ones.

The other man was physically smaller, but something about him screamed _power_. He had messy black hair, and when he turned, I saw blood-red, evil-looking eyes. I will never forget those eyes.

At the sight of me, the smaller man stopped what he was doing and charged at me faster than I could comprehend, and I was knocked back through the doorway from his attack. My back hit the wall opposite Lucy's door, and I heard a _crack_. I didn't know if it was from my bones or the wall.

I slid down the wall, crumpling to the floor. Through blurry vision I saw Lucy's captors struggle with her as she began to kick. _If she can still fight, then so can I_, I thought.

With all my strength, I pushed myself to my feet and ran at the smaller man, whose back was to me as he tried to re-gag Lucy. He was quick; I'd have to be careful. Once close enough to him, I delivered a roundhouse kick to his side. He was tossed against the dresser, but almost immediately he got back up. As he charged, I let out a roar and met him head-on. We collided, and I was the one to land underneath him. Those scary red eyes of his narrowed as he pushed down on my chest with his knee and pinned my arms down with his own.

"What do you want with Lucy," I growled out, my eyes like slits.

"Nothing that concerns you," he replied.

Just then I heard the click of a gun.

The man on top of me looked to the side. I did, too. In the doorway, shotgun raised and ready to fire, was my father. He aimed the gun and said, "I've called the cops. It would be wise of you to let the girl go and stand with your hands raised where I can see them."

When neither of the intruders moved, Dad took the safety off the shotgun.

"Now," he demanded.

The man with red eyes slowly removed himself from me, keeping his hands up in surrender. I rose to my feet, stepping away from him and toward Lucy, who the bigger man had let go of.

She was sobbing and shaking, and I put my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to me protectively. We walked out of the room, down the stairs, into the living room. I sat Lucy on my lap and hugged her at the waist, letting her cry into my neck.

And then I heard the sound of glass breaking from the room upstairs. My father cursed, running down the stairs, and he almost ran into the front door as he tried to get out. Once he managed to unlock it, he quickly went outside.

A few minutes later he came back in. I looked at him questioningly.

He sighed, sitting down on the chair across from me. "They got away," he said.

I looked at him in shock. "How?" I asked.

"The window. I never thought they'd be crazy enough to jump from the second floor."

"At least they're gone," I muttered.

"Yes," Dad agreed. "But they're still out there. They might target Lucy again."

I snarled deeply. "What do they want with Luce, anyway?"

"I don't know, Natsu. I don't know."

I let out a tired, frustrated sigh and looked down to Lucy. She had fallen asleep on my lap. Looking at her, now peaceful in her sleep, I realized that I could not, _would _not let anyone hurt her. I vowed to protect her, even with my life.

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt you, Lucy," I whispered to her. Not looking up, I said to my dad, "I'm staying with her tonight. I don't want to risk them coming back and me not being there."

Dad was silent for a moment. "Alright," he said. "Just . . . be careful, okay? I don't want either of you getting hurt if they come back." I nodded, looking at him now. "Sleep in your room tonight," my father continued. "The window in Lucy's room is broken; I'll lock that door from the hallway side."

"Okay," I agreed. "And, Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Where's Mom and Wendy?"

"In your mother and I's room. I told them to stay there, and I think Wendy will be sleeping with us tonight."

"Okay, as long as they're safe."

"They are, and we all will be," Dad promised.

That night, as I lay in bed next to Lucy, I thought of the threat these guys might pose. We didn't know who they were, what they wanted with Lucy, or who they might be working for. It was scary to think about.

I didn't get much sleep that night.

* * *

Lucy's POV

_Tears streamed down my ten-year-old face. I tried to cry silently, but it was hard to._

_It was my mother's funeral, after all._

_Everyone was standing—mourning—outside in the rain. We were waiting for her casket to arrive to be buried. I stood next to my father, who had an emotionless expression on his wrinkling face._

"_Mom. . ." I whimpered. "Why are you leaving me . . .?" I buried my head in my hands, weeping into my palms. My shoulders shook as I bawled. "Why . . .?" I whispered. Then my voice rose as I said, "Don't leave me. Please."_

_I lifted my head as her casket came by, and I ran to it, throwing my arms over it in an attempt to stop it from moving, from leaving._

"_DON'T LEAVE ME! MOM!" I yelled._

_Before I could do any more, someone was yanking me off the casket. I kicked and screamed and struggled, trying to go back to my mom. They wouldn't let me, though. I was held firmly in my father's arms; I turned so I was facing him and wept and sobbed into his black suit._

_My tears mixed with the rain._

* * *

_I wandered through the empty hallways of the mansion. It was too quiet, too lonely, nowadays. With Mom gone, Dad immersed himself even further into his work than he had originally. The maids were there for me, but it wasn't the same as a parent or sibling. I had no siblings._

_And it felt like had no parents, too._

_Today was my birthday; I was now eleven years old. Dad, of course, didn't know. He probably didn't even care. But I wanted to try. I wanted to try to get my father back. I wanted to try to make him happy, and to make him notice me again._

_So I walked down one more hallway, the present for Dad hidden securely behind my back. At last I reached his study's door. I was hesitant at first. He was working, so for a second I thought that maybe I shouldn't bother him. But then I regained my courage and pushed open the door after knocking. This was my dad we're talking about—I thought he'd understand my good intentions._

_I walked slowly up to his desk. It was cluttered in papers containing information I couldn't understand at my age._

_With a smile on my face and the present still behind my back, I stopped in front of his desk. He didn't look up._

"_Dad?" I said, hoping to get his attention._

_Still, he did not spare me a glance. "What."_

"_I brought you something," I told him, trying to hide my disappointment at his lack of interest._

"_What is it?" His voice was uncaring._

_I brought the present from behind my back and held it out in front of me._

"_I made you lunch!" I said cheerily. "It's a rice ball."_

_When he made no move to respond or take it, I set it gently on his desk._

_That's when he finally looked at me. He did not look happy. It scared me._

"_I don't want your crummy food!" he yelled. "That's what the maids are for! Now go make yourself useful and study or something!"_

"_But—"_

_He slapped the rice ball off his desk. It hit the floor and broke. "No! I don't want to hear your excuses! Go! Get out!"_

"_But . . . it's my birthday. . ."_

"_I do not care! What's a daughter worth to me?! You can't possibly take over the business! If only I had gotten a son."_

_Those words hurt more than he'll ever know._

_I ran out of his office, crying openly. I sprinted to my room and slammed the door. _He doesn't care,_ I thought as I slid my back down the door. I drew my knees to my chest and buried my face in them_

He doesn't care.

* * *

I woke with a start. Sitting up, I looked around the dark room. It was still night. I took steadying breaths to calm myself. _It was just a dream, _I thought. _Well, technically it was a memory._

I sighed. Why was I seeing that of all things? Maybe it happened because of what transpired earlier that night with the intruders. Either way, it was over now.

I fell back in the bed. Tonight was a hectic, scary night. Of course I'd have a nightmare of some sort after it. I sighed again and put my right arm over my eyes. That's when I noticed the lump under the covers next to me.

I almost screamed for the second time that night.

But I saw familiar salmon hair before a sound escaped my lips. Carefully, I pulled the bedspread away from his face just to make sure it was Natsu. Thankfully, it was.

I raised my hand to prod him awake, but then I saw how tired he looked as he slept. I wondered how long it had taken him to fall asleep. My gaze softened as I watched his peaceful expression, heard his soft snores. I didn't have the heart to wake him up from such a carefree sleep.

So instead I snuggled under the blanket and shifted closer to him. In this position our faces were facing each other. _He's kind of cute when he sleeps, _I thought to myself, smiling a little.

Natsu moved closer to me and his arm found its way around my waist. I let out a small squeak at the unexpected action, blushed some, but I didn't try to escape his hold. He held me caringly, almost lovingly, and I honestly felt safe in his arms. I felt warm, and my heartbeat sped up for some reason.

I placed my hands to his chest and nestled even closer. Out foreheads were resting against each other's, but I didn't mind. I was comfortable and warm and _safe_.

I closed my eyes and smiled. Natsu smiled, too, in his sleep, and I swear I heard him murmur, "Lushy."

I fell asleep with both a smile and blush on my face, safely wrapped in Natsu's arms.

* * *

**The real story line has finally arrived with this chapter! I'm excited to write it!**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It was so much fun to write!**

**I don't have anything else to say so . . .**

**'Til next time!**

**-AlphaDemon**

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	12. Chapter 12

**Hey everyone! I am so so so so sorry for taking so long to update! School got hectic and I started running out of time due to homework and extracurricular activities. I'm so sorry for taking so long.**

**Thanks so much to everyone that followed, favorited, and/or reviewed! And thank you so so much to everyone that's stuck with me through bad update times! It means the world to me.**

**Well, without further ado. . .**

**Here's chapter twelve!**

**EDIT 3-13-16: I accidentally put Lucy's last name as Hearfillia when Igneel is introducing her. I changed it to Ashley because that's what she's going by since she doesn't want anyone to know she comes from a rich family. I apologize for the mistake.**

**ALSO Review Responses are up!**

* * *

Natsu's POV

I was vaguely aware of holding something when I started to wake up. I didn't know what I was gripping so tightly, but it must have been important for me to hold on the way I was. All I knew was that it was warm and smelled _really _nice, like strawberries and vanilla. It also just felt _right _to hold it in my arms.

So I can admit it wasn't much of a surprise when I cracked open an eye to find Lucy sound asleep in my arms.

She looked so peaceful, so happy, so _carefree_, that I couldn't help but stare at her rosy cheeks, her long eyelashes, her soft lips, curled into a small smile. She was so beautiful in that moment, like an angel. I didn't know what came over me then, but I couldn't help but want to kiss her.

I held back though, instead brushing some of her blond hair away from her eyes. I couldn't be sure, but I swore she smiled a little more at my touch. However, I couldn't find out because her chocolate eyes fluttered open and the next thing I knew she was staring into my eyes and I was returning her gaze. Then she leaned in and I leaned forward too.

And then the door burst open.

Lucy jumped back, startled, and sent me tumbling to the floor with an unintentional kick. I brought the bedspread down with me in my haste to grab something so as to not plummet to the floor. Lucy nearly face-planted on the ground but managed to regain her balance on the edge of the bed before she did so.

I looked over to my dad, who was standing in the doorway, trying his damned hardest not to laugh. Let's just say he failed miserably at it. He burst out laughing, doubling over and clutching his sides. Lucy was giggling too, but I scowled as I untangled myself from the covers and stood up.

I didn't fully know what had just been about to happen between Lucy and me. Were we going to kiss? Or was she still half asleep, not knowing what she was doing? Was she just going to move closer and nestle her head in the crook of my neck? What was happening?

It didn't take long for Dad to calm down and, when he did, he looked at us with such seriousness that I got a little scared.

"Good morning," he said, to which we replied with a simultaneous 'Morning'. "You both should get dressed. I called the police, and they'll be here in thirty minutes."

Our joyous mood was gone with that one statement, and Dad left the room with the silence as his only indicator we had heard what he said. I looked over to Lucy, still sitting on the bed. Her head was lowered and her eyes looked glazed over. I wondered if she knew who the intruders that tried to capture her were, but dismissed the thought. Wouldn't she have told us if she did? I liked to believe she would.

"Lucy?" I asked when a few moments had passed and she hadn't moved at all. "Lucy, you okay?" I moved towards her, sitting next to her on the bed. She didn't look up.

I placed a tentative hand on her shoulder and asked her again. When she still didn't respond, I gently used my pointer finger to lift her gaze to meet mine.

"Hey," I said. "It's going to be okay. I'll personally make sure no one hurts you, Luce. I promise."

"Natsu . . ." she trailed off.

I found myself saying more. "I don't know what those two men want, but I swear on my life that they will not harm you. No one will. You're amazing, you know that? You're the kindest person I've ever met, with such bright eyes and an adorable smile. Not to mention your endearing personality and the way you make people happy just by walking into the room. Whatever those men want, I'll make absolutely certain they never get it. You're an angel, Luce, and I will make sure that no one makes you fall."

I don't know why I said it. But I don't regret it because it's the truth.

Lucy burst into tears then. From what, I don't know. It could've been what I just confessed. It could have been the stress of last night finally crashing down on her. It could have well been anything. I'll never know.

But as she reached out and clutched onto me like a lifeline, bawling and sobbing into my chest, I knew for damn well sure that no one was going to hurt her. Not while I was there.

In my rage-filled, determined state, I almost didn't hear her next words. But I did, and my body went rigid when she managed to say them between sobs and gasps for air.

"I think I know who sent them."

LINE BREAK

Lucy's POV

I was blessed to have Natsu there. I really was. He was always looking after me, protecting me, and I knew I depended on him more than I should. But I couldn't help it. Not only did he always support and help me, he _wanted _to. I could see in his eyes that that's what he wanted to do.

So I believed that that was why he let me sob into his chest. I didn't think much of it—just a person wanting to comfort their best friend.

Once I had cried all my tears out, I slowly pulled away from him. We sat there for a little bit before deciding we should probably get dressed before the police arrived.

Natsu went back to his room, closing my door on his way out, and I changed into a baggy T-shirt and a comfortable pair of jean shorts. I ran a brush through my hair, choosing to keep it down. Feeling no need for makeup, I exited my room and went downstairs.

My pink—sorry, _salmon_—haired friend was already at the table, gobbling up some pancakes his mom had most likely made. I grabbed a plate and scooped three hot flapjacks onto it, then sat down across from Natsu and dug in.

My appetite went away, though, when the doorbell rang. The police were early.

Mr. Dragneel stood from his spot on the recliner to answer the door. I heard him greet the two uniformed officers before inviting them in. They strode to the kitchen, where I was now rinsing off my plate after giving Natsu the two pancakes I hadn't eaten. Natsu was rising from his seat to put his dishes away.

The two cops were very different. One was lean yet muscular, but seemed to be more brains than brawn. He held his long, dark hair in a ponytail with two bangs framing his face and an unruly tuft covering his forehead. His irises were a strange color for eyes. Lavender is what I concluded. Calculating and sly, they were hidden behind circular-lensed glasses. He wore a badge indicating that he was a Detective.

The other man looked to be his partner. Unlike the Detective, he had short, shaggy jet-black hair with messy strands covering his forehead. His eyes were a captivating turquoise, and they seemed to hold so much within them. There was an oddly shaped scar running down the left side of his face, the story of which I was afraid to know. He wore his uniform more sloppy than his partner: wrinkled and slightly unbuttoned. But he had an air around him that told me he was experienced and deadly.

"Lucy, this is Detective Lahar," Mr. Dragneel said, indicating to the now seated Detective. "And this is Officer Doranbolt," he continued, gesturing to the turquoise-eyed man. "Detective, Officer Doranbolt, this is Lucy Ashley."

The two men nodded greeting to me. Detective Lahar then said, "Let's get right down to business, shall we?"

I nodded, and he followed with standard questions: What's my full name; why am I at the Dragneel's house; who is my family. I answered each of his questions in turn, and then he got down to the serious stuff.

"So," he started. "You were attacked last night by two men in the guest room, where you were staying for the night, correct?"

"Yes," I said.

"Can you tell me exactly what happened?" he asked, pulling out a pad of paper and a pen.

"Sure," I replied, trying to act to calm. "It was late—probably after midnight. I was sleeping, having a dream, when I was jolted awake by a hand over my mouth."

I paused, remembering the feeling of a large, tough hand clamped over my mouth. I recalled the absolute terror I felt as I looked into red eyes I somewhat recognized.

"Can you continue?" the Detective asked me, not pushy, but instead actually asking if I could continue emotionally.

I nodded again and went on.

"Somehow I was able to bite down on the man's hand and he removed it just long enough for me to scream. But he recovered quickly and muffled most of it.

"In that moment I thought 'This is the end. I'm going to die.'

"But I didn't.

"Natsu was arrived as one of them stuffed a gag in my mouth. He was furious, from what I could tell. Everything is kind of a blur from there because it happened so fast. The smaller man—the one not currently twisting my arm behind my back—was suddenly in the doorway instead of in front of me. And Natsu—Natsu was crumpled to the floor in the hallway, having been rammed into the wall."

I became emotional then, remembering what it had felt like to see him unmoving there, at the mercy of that man. My eyes watered and I took a minute to calm down. Neither cop rushed me, which I was thankful for.

When I pulled myself together, I continued.

"Seeing him gave me hope, and I had to help him somehow, so I began kicking and struggling. The man was too strong though. There wasn't much I could do. And the other man was already stuffing the gag back in my mouth. But Natsu—he kicked the man into the dresser. Then he charged."

I stopped again, not really knowing how the fight went from there because I had tried to free myself of the bigger man's grip and didn't see the fight between Natsu and the red-eyed man. I told the cops that that was all I could recall and apologized. Detective Lahar said there was no need for apologies and was about to say something else when Natsu interrupted.

"I can tell you what happened. I'm Natsu, the one who fought with the man."

Detective Lahar seemed pleased and asked Natsu to take a seat next to me. Natsu did so and began where I left off.

"We tumbled. Punches were thrown. But in the end he was on top of me, pinning me down with his knee on my chest and his hands holding down my own at the wrists. I was so angry. I wanted to know what he wanted with Lucy. He wouldn't tell. I was still pinned when Dad came in with a shotgun and demanded they leave. They let go of Lucy and me, and Lucy and I left the room and came down here. Dad later said they escaped through the window."

When he finished, he looked at me. I was looking at him, and he reached for my hand under the table. Our fingers intertwined underneath the table, where no one could see the supportive action.

"Thank you, both of you," Detective Lahar said. Then he asked, "Can you describe what these men looked like?"

I described them for him: the blood-red eyes of the smaller, black-haired man; the electric-blue tips of the bigger man's spiky black hair. Natsu filled in anything I left out. All the while Detective Lahar wrote notes down in his notepad and Officer Doranbolt sat there quietly, stoically, ideas and theories swimming in his eyes as he turned over every little detail and thought things out.

Detective Lahar finished scribbling down our descriptions and said, "Natsu, Lucy, could you take Officer Doranbolt to see the room where this happened while I ask Mr. and Mrs. Dragneel some questions?"

"Okay," Natsu said and rose to his feet.

The officer stood too, and Natsu lead him upstairs; I followed them silently.

As Natsu showed Officer Doranbolt where the events of last night had happened, I stood back, watching them, but not hearing a word they said. I was too busy reliving that night. In my mind, I pictured the assailants, detailing their looks down to the smallest of freckles. I swore I had seen them somewhere before. It was as if I knew them.

Then I remembered.

I _did _know them.

They worked for Jude Heartifilia.

My father.

* * *

**So now that you know who they work for, I would love to know who you think the two men are :)**

**I'm happy with the way this chapter turned out and am excited to write the rest of this story.**

**Thanks again to everyone still reading.**

**'Til next time!**

**-AlphaDemon**

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PancakeLover9000 - **I'm so happy you like my story!**

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Guest - **Thank you so much!**

Janime - **I'm glad you love it!**

JustLOL - **Thanks! Sorry this chapter took so long, and sorry chapter 13 is taking forever too.**

050300NALU - **Thanks! I'm sorry I take so long on the chapters :(**

LOL - **Ikr! Like, I understand why/how people can ship NaLi, but there's not much in canon that suggests they feel that way. As for your guess of who they work for, you're pretty spot on.**

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	13. Author's Note PLEASE READ

**Hey everyone! I'd like to start off with an apology.**

**I'm very sorry.**

**It's been forever since I last updated and I am a little ashamed to admit that I haven't started on chapter 13.**

**I deeply apologize.**

**I don't want to sound like I'm giving excuses as to why I haven't updated-I should have made time for this story and all of you wonderful people. It's just that school is nearing EOG/EOC review (basically the entire fourth quarter) and I have after-school activities that take up a lot of my time.**

**I'm going to be honest with you all: I need to re-read this story. It's been so long that I barely remember the small details.**

**Spring Break is in about a week or two, and I will have re-read the story by then. During Spring Break I will try my damned hardest to write chapter 13 and post it.**

**So I'd like your guys' opinions:**

**Do you want me to...**

**a) write a chapter that's about the same length as the others and hopefully post it sooner, or**

**b) write a longer chapter (4,000-5,000 words most likely) and post it near the end of Spring Break, which is about three weeks to a month from now?**

**Thank you all so much for sticking with me. I can't express how much it means to me that you stay throughout all of my horrible update timings. Thank you.**

**I'd also like to say that I WILL NOT ABANDON THIS STORY. I promise you that.**

**Alrighty then . . .**

**Let me know what you'd prefer for the chapter please!**

**-AlphaDemon**


	14. Chapter 13

**Hey everyone! Spring Break has started and like I promised here's a new chapter!**

**GUYS GUYS WE HIT OVER 200 REVIEWS THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

**Thanks to everyone that followed, favorited, and/or reviewed!**

**Here's chapter 13!**

* * *

Natsu's POV

"And this," I said, pointing to the broken window, "is where they escaped."

Officer Doranbolt nodded his head, his hand to his chin and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. I could practically see the gears turning in his head as he pictured the scene I had just finished describing.

I was about to say more when I heard Lucy gasp. My head snapped in her direction and I saw her striding forward.

"Officer," she said, and the seriousness in her voice made me freeze. "I believe I know who the assailants are."

"Who?" Doranbolt asked as he returned his hand to his side.

Lucy paused. Then she said, "I—I'd rather not say it here. Can we talk in private?"

Her eyes never met mine.

The officer nodded and they left without another word. I just stood there, stunned, confused. Why—? Did she not trust me? What was she afraid to say in front of me? Why wouldn't she tell me too?

I don't think she ever fully realized how much that action hurt me. I felt betrayed, to be honest—why didn't she believe in me?

Quietly, I exited the room, my head down.

* * *

Lucy's POV

I led Officer Doranbolt to Natsu's room and shut the door behind us. He stood in the middle of the room, a little awkwardly. I took a seat on the edge of Natsu's bed.

"I—" I started, faltered, and tried again. "I believe I know who they are."

I didn't lift my gaze from the floor, but I could almost feel the anticipation rolling off of the policeman in front of me.

"And . . .?" he prodded gently.

"I think their names are Zeref and Acnologia. I don't know their last names—sorry."

Doranbolt took a moment to respond. "It's alright. Thank you for the information."

A silence fell over us then, and it was tense. I waited for him to say something—anything—but he didn't. And so I excused myself from the room. One look over my shoulder showed me he had followed.

We went back downstairs and the detective and officer conversed in whispered tones for a minute or two before wrapping the meeting up. I glanced over at Natsu, who was sitting on the couch with his head bent down.

"Well, then," Detective Lahar said, and I turned my gaze back to the policemen. "Let us know if anything happens, okay?"

"Okay," I said.

Lahar bid us good day and the two men left, leaving the four of us—Natsu's parents, Natsu, and me—in silence.

I was the one to break the quiet.

"Mr. Dragneel," I began. "I need to go to my apartment."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Lucy." His tone was sharp and protective, with a hint of worry.

"I'll be quick," I promised. "I just need to pick up something—something for school."

It wasn't a complete lie, at least.

"Lucy," Mrs. Dragneel said. "I have to agree with Igneel on this one. It's not safe for you to go right now. I'm not even sure you should go to school."

"But—"

"I'll go with her."

The three of us looked to Natsu, and I saw Mr. Dragneel tense ever so slightly.

"Son, it's not safe for you either. They saw you. They know what you look like."

"Please," I said, almost begging now. "Just give us thirty minutes."

"Honey," Mrs. Dragneel murmured, placing a hand on her husband's shoulder. From the look on her face, I guessed she could tell how much I needed to go.

There was a moment, then, in which I thought Natsu's father was going to deny us again and that would be that. But he sighed, a tired breath. "Fine," he relented. "Thirty minutes. Don't be late."

"Thank you, sir. Thank you so much," I said, and rushed to the door to pull my shoes on.

* * *

Natsu and I walked in anxious silence. I could tell he was on edge. I didn't blame him though—I was tense too. We could be attacked at any moment. Luckily, my apartment was only two blocks away from his house.

However, while it was understandable that he was stressed, I couldn't help but think there was something else too.

My apartment came into view quickly and I unlocked the door for us to enter. We stepped inside and kept our shoes on in case we had to bolt.

"What is it you need?" Natsu asked, but it was muffled because his head was already in my fridge.

"I'll get it," I said. "You just worry about not raiding my fridge."

I heard him chuckle as I walked into my room. "No promises."

My room was just as I remembered it: fairly tidy except for my desk. A couple of steps brought me to it, and I pulled open the bottom-most drawer; then opened a secret compartment within with a key from my key-ring. Inside I found a stack of papers, right where I had left them. I hurriedly leafed through the pages, making sure they were, in fact, the documents I required, before locking the compartment and closing the drawer. The papers in hand, I returned to the kitchen to find Natsu seated on the couch, stuffing yet more food into his mouth.

"Youf readief?" he asked through a mouthful of food.

"Yeah," I responded, hoping he hadn't cleaned my fridge of food.

He swallowed before standing, and that's when I blacked out.

* * *

Natsu's POV

I saw Lucy drop to the floor, unconscious, before I even had time to comprehend that the glass of the window had shattered.

Rough hands yanked my arms behind me, and that's when I knew we were in serious trouble. Try as I might, I couldn't break free of the hold the large man had on me. I couldn't even turn to confirm who it was. But I knew—I knew it was the man with the electric eyes from the night before.

I assumed myself to be correct when the other man entered through the broken window. I watched as his red eyes darted around the room, as he lowered his feet to the ground, as he moved towards Lucy.

All I could do was watch.

And so I looked on as the shorter of the two picked Lucy up and tossed her over his shoulder. My scorching gaze never left the man's cold face. He only smirked more.

"Let her go!" I roared. He ignored me, choosing instead to turn around and leave through the window. My eyes followed his every move until I couldn't see him anymore.

Desperate, I began to struggle, lashing out like an animal with rabies. I twisted and turned, trying to get free, trying to get to Lucy, to save her. Somehow I ended up dropping to my knees, bringing my captor down with me, rolling, and regaining my balance on my feet, free at last. I didn't even hesitate when I kicked the glowering man in the face.

But by the time I made it outside, Lucy was gone. The one who took her was gone too.

I turned and punched the wall.

* * *

I re-entered the apartment to find the second assailant nowhere to be found. He had escaped too.

Damn it.

Damn it all.

My hands tightened into trembling fists, my knuckles white from the force with which I clenched them.

I had failed.

I had failed in my promise to protect Lucy.

I had failed in my promise that she would be safe.

What would my parents think? Would they blame me?

It wouldn't surprise me. After all, I blamed myself.

A sob escaped my lips, a choked, pitiful sound, and the next thing I knew my legs were buckling and I was on the floor and the tears just _would not stop_ and then I was screaming. I must've stayed there for hours, for my father eventually showed up, anxious and concerned.

And then I saw the tears streaming down his face.

And reality hit me hard.

Lucy was gone.

And it was my fault.

* * *

Sometime after he arrived, my dad called my mom to fill her in, as well as the police to get help. I was too numb to hear either side of either of the two conversations. By then my tears had dried up. My eyes stared blankly at the floor.

That was when I noticed a paper, crinkled and stepped-on, but not ripped. Picking it up, I read over it and nearly screamed again. Dad came to my side, bending down and looking over my shoulder at the file. He gasped.

On the paper, in the top right-hand corner, was a picture of the black-haired, red-eyed man that took Lucy. The paper behind it showed a picture of the black-with-blue-tips haired man that had held me back. That's when we knew what Lucy had wanted.

She was retrieving their names.

My dad took the top file—using more force than I thought necessary—so I had the electric-blue eyed man's. I read his name and bio:

_Acnologia Mokushiroku_

_In his early-twenties, Acnologia was a ruthless and violent person. He was an assassin, and he refuses to tell what organization he worked for. In his line of work, he is known as __**The Black Dragon **__and __**Black Dragon of the Apocalypse**__ because of his uniform black coat and last name. Presently, he works as a body-guard and mercenary, taking work from various clients. Not much else is known about him personally._

_Skills: Master in various forms of fighting, including taekwondo, kung fu, karate, and the rare fighting style known as Dragon King._

_Excelling in infiltration and stealth, Acnologia makes an excellent spy and one-man team. His stamina and agility are superb as well as his five senses._

_There have been speculations that he was experimented on, but nothing has been confirmed._

I scanned over the paper once more, making sure I had read everything correctly. I just couldn't believe it—this guy was like the perfect human-weapon. He even knew a secret fighting style! There was no way I could ever beat him one-on-one. I knew that. And so did he, I bet.

I stood from the floor and turned to face my father. His hand was shaking as he held and read the paper. He might've actually just been staring at it—apart from his shaking hand, he wasn't moving.

"Dad?"

"H-huh?" He lifted his eyes from the paper, slowly, painfully, as if he couldn't believe what he was reading either. "Y-yeah?"

Something was wrong. My dad never stuttered.

"What is it?" I asked, my expression turning dire.

"I-it's nothing," he said, all together too quickly.

I held out my hand. "Let me see the file, Dad. Here, you look over this one."

"I—" He swallowed thickly, like his throat was too dry to swallow anything. "I'd really rather not."

My eyebrows furrowed, I said, "Dad, I need to see it. I need to know what we're up against."

He let out a shaky, nervous breath.

"You're right." He handed me the paper, and I gave him mine. "Just—don't panic, Natsu, son. Please, don't panic and do something stupid."

"Why would I? Why would I, Dad?" _What's got you so scared?_

He only gestured for me to read the file.

So I did.

My eyes first trailed to the man's picture. He looked the same, perhaps a few years younger, but the same. He had the same shaggy black hair, the same menacing red eyes, the same wicked smirk.

Then I looked at his name.

I stared at it, and stared, stared, stared some more. It wasn't computing. I was seeing something. It wasn't right. It couldn't be happening. _Why was it happening?_

I read his name one last time and nearly ripped the paper in two.

_Zeref Dragneel_

* * *

**I don't know what I think of this chapter. I like the ending, but I feel like the chapter itself didn't flow all that well.**

**I'd love to know what you all think!**

**Special thanks to everyone that's stuck with me as I write this story! It means so much to me that you'd keep reading it.**

**I hope to write another chapter by the end of Spring Break since this one was so short, but no promises.**

**'Til next time!**

**-AlphaDemon**

**Review Responses (to the guest reviewers):**

Kiaway - **You're welcome!**

LushyHeartfilia - **Thank you so much! I'm so happy to be someone's favorite author! :3**

Charlie Mercury - **I promise I will make more! Thank you!**

Guest - **Thank you! And I changed her last name back to Ashley. Thanks for letting me know about the mistake!**

Guest - **I'll finish it, I promise! And yes they do!**

Nalu4ever - **You're close about who they are! They're actually mercenary-type people that he hired a long time ago, and now they have a new job. Thanks for reading and your wonderful review!**

**Author's Note Review Responses:**

Guest - **I'll make more! I'm so happy you like it!**

LucyHeartfilia - **I'm so sorry, A was just easier for me, but I'll try to post chapter 14 soon!**

Aliciaplatypus - **I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Take care!**


	15. Chapter 14

**Hey all! So I didn't get this chapter out before Spring Break ended, hehe whoops. But it's only a week late, and really early compared to my other updates!**

**Thanks to everyone that followed, favorited, and/or reviewed!**

**Here's chapter 14!**

* * *

Lucy's POV

I woke up not where I expected to. I had expected a dark, cold cellar, or a cave, or somewhere not so _plush._ I had expected chains, or rope, or a gag, not a bed I knew all too well. I had expected them to beat me and taunt me, not knock me out and be done. I had prepared myself for the worst ever since they broke into Natsu's house in the middle of the night just to try and capture me.

I had not expected this.

I woke up lying in a—most likely—Queen-sized bed, covered by pink blankets. My clothes had not changed, thank goodness, but my hair was a mess of tangles and knots. As I sat up, a wave of drowsiness hit me. It must've been the drug. Despite the exhaustion gnawing at me, I climbed out of the bed and managed, somehow, to open the bedroom door.

"Oh, Lucy, my dear, you're up."

I looked down to the smiling yet concerned face of Ms. Spetto, one of my father's many maids. Without another word she ushered me back into the room and we sat down next to each other on the bed.

Then she hugged me.

And I hugged back.

"It's so good to see you," I said, my voice quiet. I buried my face in the crook of her neck, relishing in the fact that she was _there_.

"I've missed you so much," she whispered, and tightened her hold on me. Guilt washed over me. After all, I had run away.

When I was younger and after my mother had died, Ms. Spetto was the one there for me. It wasn't my father or a sibling, it was her. She comforted me until I moved on from my mother's passing, and then she became like a second mother to me. She would help me with my studies, teach me to cook and clean—she even threw a baseball with me every now and then. Ms. Spetto treated me like her daughter.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

It took us a while to break apart, but when we did we were still touching at the knees.

"What am I doing here?" I asked.

Her expression fell and I knew it couldn't be good. So much for Dad just wanting to see his little girl.

"You're father," she began. "He . . . hired these two men. I don't know who they are or where they came from. I've never seen them before." Her words halted as she took on an expression of ponder.

"I have," I said, to fill the silence caused by her pause. "They used to be Mom and I's bodyguards, way back when. But after she passed—I don't know where they went, but I didn't see them again. Not until two nights ago, that is."

"Oh dear. . ."

"Do you know what Father wants with me?"

She was silent for a moment, her eyes thoughtful, before saying, "I'm not entirely sure, Ms. Lucy. You did run away from home, so it may be for that. However, knowing your father, I don't believe that that is all there is to it."

"Yeah," I murmured. "I guess there's only one way to find out, huh?"

"Indeed there is," Ms. Spetto agreed forlornly.

I had to talk to Father.

* * *

Natsu's POV

"Dad," I said, but my voice was demanding. "Who the _fuck_ is Zeref Dragneel?"

I wasn't looking at him, instead still staring at the paper held tightly in my hand. My grasp crumpled the file.

"I . . ." I heard him say. "I don't know, Natsu. I don't know."

My voice grew dark and I shot to my feet, getting right up in his face. "What do you mean _you don't know_?" Though my voice was dark, it had risen in volume, especially as I practically spat out the next words. "How can you _not know_?"

He backed away from me, his hands raised in surrender, and for the first time in a long time, I saw true fear in his eyes.

"I—Natsu, I never had another son. You're my only son," he said. I heard the sincerity in his voice and backed down slightly.

"Then why does this guy have our last name?"

He lowered his hands. "I don't know."

I ran a hand through my hair agitatedly, sucked in a deep breath and let it out. "We have some digging to do, Dad."

"Actually, we have some police to call," he responded, his voice firm, the phone already in his hand.

I looked at him incredulously. "I can understand that," I said slowly. "But are you asking me to just _drop it_?"

My dad crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not asking."

Standing straighter, I objected. "And I'm not letting this go. Dragneel is not a common name; this guy is most likely related to us. You can't just expect me to—"

"I can and I do," he interrupted. "I'm the parent here; you need to listen to me on this. The police are much better suited for this kind of thing. And I'll need that file so I can give it to them."

"But it's Lucy! Dad, they took Lucy! A _possible_ _family member of ours _took Lucy!" I was yelling by then, almost screaming. "I refuse to just sit by and wait for someone else to find her, to save her! And I have to know if we're related to this Zeref guy!"

"No. And that's final." Without another word, he moved his attention to his cell phone and dialed a number. The phone to his ear, he turned so his back faced me, signifying the end of the discussion. But, like I had said, I wouldn't do nothing.

This Zeref Dragneel could be related to me and my family. I had to know for myself, and I wouldn't let that be through the police. More importantly, though, he had Lucy; I absolutely refused to let the police handle it alone. After all, they can take a long time to find a missing person, and there's always the possibility of them having been bribed or blackmailed.

Therefore, while my dad was busy talking to someone—most likely Detective Lahar—I exited the apartment.

* * *

My back slid down the wall. The alley was dark, as it was night, and I was exhausted. I'd been searching and searching for hours on end, yet I hadn't found any leads to Zeref's and Lucy's whereabouts. I was ready to curl up in a ball and cry, but I knew I couldn't. I couldn't stop looking, I couldn't give up hope.

After all, Lucy's life was at stake.

With wobbly legs, I stood up. Pulling the file from my pocket, I re-read Zeref's profile. His whereabouts were not available, which frustrated me to no end. My eyes stared at the paper but my brain didn't process any of the words—I was too busy re-playing the events of last night and today. Lucy had said she thought who the men were, which meant she probably knew who they were hired by, but she wouldn't tell me. However . . .

She told Doranbolt.

With newfound determination, I took off, sprinting towards the police station. It didn't take me long to reach it, as I was only a few blocks away. Nearly running into the door, I slowed to a walk as I entered, and at the front desk I requested to talk to Doranbolt.

The receptionist looked at me funny. "Do you have an appointment?"

"Well, no," I said, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly. "But he came to my house today for an attempted kidnapping."

"And you are?"

"Natsu Dragneel."

It took her a moment to find the right files in the computer database, but when she did she gasped quietly and informed Doranbolt of my presence. I thanked her before sitting down on a chair to wait, worrying my bottom lip with my teeth.

A few moments later, the turquoise-eyed officer retrieved me. We walked further into the station and entered his office. He sat down behind his desk, and I took a chair in front of it.

"If you're here about Ms. Ashley," he began, "I have already been informed of her abduction."

I swallowed thickly at the word "abduction." It was still surreal to me that Lucy was actually gone.

"I-I know. But I'm here for something a little different." At Doranbolt's nod, I continued. "Lucy told you who she thinks the men are, and I know now too." I placed Zeref's file on the desk, knowing I was risking losing it by doing so. And knowing I was also risking myself. "It doesn't say where he is right now," I said, as the black-haired man picked up the document to read it, "but I figure Lucy told you."

Watching as his eyes scanned over the paper, I waited for him to respond. He must've read it at least twice before he said anything.

"She didn't tell me."

"I'm sorry?"

Doranbolt's gaze lifted from the paper to meet mine. "She didn't tell me," he said again. "She didn't tell me where they are or who she thought they were hired by."

My mouth went dry and I nearly began hyperventilating. My one lead, my only chance, was gone with those four words. I was out of ideas, and worse, I had just given a police officer a file on a man who shared my last name. There was no reason he couldn't accuse me of being in on it. So I sat there, terrified and frozen, until Doranbolt asked if I was alright.

The words took a moment to process. Then I said, "Y-yeah."

He didn't comment on it again, instead going back to the business at hand. "This is actually more helpful than you think." His eyes were once again glued to the paper. "Now that we have a picture of him, we can run facial-recognition software on him. We can probably find him; the other one was good at hiding."

Time froze for me then, because I hadn't thought about that, and all at once I was filled with hope once more.

"However, you do realize I have to contact your parents, right? They're worried about you—in fact, they already came here and filed a missing-person report after they gave me Acnologia's file."

I nodded slowly, biting my bottom lip once again in anxiety. I knew I'd have to face them sooner or later.

Without another word, Doranbolt ushered me out of the office.

* * *

"Sir, I have a match!"

I was jolted out of my thoughts by the shout, and I looked to the monitor on the desk as Doranbolt and Lahar hurried over. The screen showed the picture from Zeref's file on the right, and a picture taken from a security camera on the left. Both were in color, and the similarities were striking. It was a ninety-five percent match.

"Where and when?" Detective Lahar asked. The man next to me pulled up a new screen and read off the date and location: today at around two in the afternoon—two miles south of the Heartfilia mansion.

"Why there?" I asked, confused. They were headed in the direction of the mansion, on the only road that led to it. But it didn't make sense for them to take Lucy there. After all, her last name was Ashley.

Before anyone could answer me, a shout interrupted us and my mom was suddenly upon me, crushing me in a hug. My arms instinctively wrapped around her.

"Where have you been?" she demanded, and I realized she was crying. Guilt overcame me; I shouldn't have run off like I did.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, holding her tighter. "I didn't mean to scare you—I just want to find Lucy."

She pulled back enough to look me in the face. "That doesn't give you the right to just disappear, though."

I looked down in shame. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Oh, honey," she murmured. "It's okay, so long as you're safe."

My lips pulled up in a soft smile. "I'm alright."

As she pulled me into another embrace, I noticed my father standing behind her, looking relieved although he was obviously unhappy, if his glare was anything to go by. Gently, I separated myself from my mother and stood before my father. He looked down at me sternly, and somewhere in the back of my mind I took note of how he looked older.

"Dad, I—"

"Don't you _ever _pull a stunt like that again," he said. I nodded, feeling ashamed and guilty. "But, Natsu—" I looked up, into my father's kind, warm eyes "—I'm proud of you, nonetheless. And I understand what it must feel like right now, knowing she's out there. You really do love her, don't you?"

"Yes," I uttered. "She's everything to me."

"I'm sorry to break this up," Lahar cut in, "but we have to go, and you all should go home."

"What do you mean 'go home'?" I said harshly. Dad placed a hand on my shoulder to silence me; I almost snapped at him for it, but he started speaking.

"Detective, we would greatly appreciate it if you would let us come too," he said.

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow that. Citizens shouldn't be put in danger." Lahar stood before my dad, and, despite being a few inches shorter, he was intimidating to both me and my father.

"I'm afraid we'd come anyway," Dad confessed. "Would it not be easier if we came with you, so you could make sure we didn't get in the way?"

A plethora of expressions crossed Lahar's face, but he settled on frustrated surrender. "Fine," he agreed. "But you have to do everything I say, when I say it."

My dad gave his signature grin, and I felt my own lips copying his. "Understood," he said, giving a comical two-fingered salute.

I noticed, then, that Doranbolt was staring intently at the computer screen—at the facial-recognition software, to be more accurate. His eyebrows were scrunched in confusion and he was nibbling on his bottom lip in concentration. I walked over and stood next to him, looking at the screen too.

"What's wrong?" I asked. I wasn't too worried, but I also felt the anxiety in the pit of my stomach.

Without sparing me a glance, he replied, "I can't find her."

I tensed. "What?"

He pulled up a picture of Lucy he no doubt obtained from my parents and ran it through the software. As it searched, he repeated, "I can't find her."

My throat went dry. "But what does that mean?"

"She's not in any of the police records." The search stopped on a girl that looked exactly like Lucy, but her last name was all wrong. "There is no record of this Lucy Ashley."

By now my parents and Detective Lahar had wandered over to see what the matter was, and I heard my mom gasp. I didn't look at them, too focused on the screen as I was, but I bet my dad was glaring at the screen in disbelief. We act much the same, him and me.

"Why aren't there any records?" my dad finally wondered aloud.

"I have a theory," Doranbolt said, removing his eyes from the screen at last. "I think Lucy Ashley isn't in the records because she never existed. I think Lucy lied about her last name, but for what reason, I don't know."

"Then who is she really?" It was me who asked the question we were all thinking. I just couldn't take it anymore.

Doranbolt gestured to the screen—and pictures—behind him.

"The daughter of one of the wealthiest men in the country of Fiore: Lucy Heartfilia."

* * *

**What'd y'all think? I'd love a review to let me know!**

**I have no idea when the next chapter will be out. It just kinda depends. *cough*reviews make updates faster*cough***

**'Til next time!**

**-AlphaDemon**

**Review Responses (to the guests):**

LushyHeartfilia - **Thank you so much!**

Guest - **Lol, thanks for the review!**


	16. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**Hey everyone! I have important news so please read this!**

**All of my stories are going on a temporary hiatus.**

**School and sports have limited my time a lot. I can now only write on the weekends, so I can't get much done because I don't always have a free weekend.**

**I'm trying to write long chapters to make up for the very long wait, so please be patient with me. I don't know when new chapters will be posted, but I promise I'm not abandoning my stories!**

**Thanks to everyone still with me!**

**-AlphaDemon**


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